Paintings With Soul

Detail of an in process painting, working title "Snowglobe," 12" x 9", acrylics on copper panel, depicting my childhood Madame Alexander "Victoria" doll holding a snowglobe (not pictured because this is a detail). This piece is not yet available. All inquiries may  come to me . Continuing with my exploration of copper as canvas, this newest painting is headed (hopefully!) for an exhibition. My first obstacle is getting her finished before Wednesday's deadline (I am a professional procrastinator!). My second obstacle is getting her juried into the show (send me good vibes, because it'll all come down to one person's point of view). Thanks, as always, for following along with my artwork, Warmly, Kim  

"Corpse," 8" x 10", acrylics on a Raymar panel, depicting a vintage porcelain doll from perhaps the 1940s (??). Study done in class, intended for learning purposes, but decidedly pleased with the end result. This one can be yours for $469 (I'll have a better scan of the painting later in the week) - inquire to me . Please and thank you! View Workshop Photos While everyone else is painting fruit and pottery, I'm the one in the corner with a tub of dolls and parts, happily pushing paint. I always was the proverbial Purple Cow. Today we learned that the best still life paintings contain: A design concept superseding the objects painted A whole that is much larger than the sum of the parts Light elevating the setup We talked about the storytelling aspect of a still life, it's symbolic content (whether that's planned or accidental), and how it might read over time (transcendence). We also drew a pa...

"Conversations," 10" x 12", acrylics on a Raymar panel, depicting a collection of vintage doll heads, complete with sleepy  and not-so-sleepy-eyes. Study done in class, intended for learning purposes only. I'm stepping outside my comfort zone, learning about lighting and still life setup, along with a little paint pushing, from none other than colorist Vianna Szabo . View Workshop Photos Here's today's lightbulbs: Nothing created in a workshop is intended for a wall. Or an exhibition. Perfect example: I am not terribly pleased with today's painting, but I am delighted with all it taught me. (That little magical spot between all three heads? it makes me giddy!) Design is of primary significance. The idea should come before the object(s) is/are even placed. (Me thinks this is the difference between a portrait of an object and a still life). Value takes precedence before color. A big challenge for me...

A view of Elizabeth's studio , where we spent the afternoon co-creating. The rooster is hers, a 30" square panel in process, and my doll painting "Lily" is 8" x 10", named for Lily Allen , who we sang along to (which was highly entertaining given my laryngitis). Good times in the south. Rain and cooler-than-usual-temps did not dampen our spirits. In addition to painting, we visited a ginormous art supply store, enjoyed afternoon lattes, and cooked a killer meal for her family. Now we are setting up to journal together. Tomorrow my workshop starts. Let's hope I have a voice. Otherwise, we'll be whispering. Thanks for following along with my artwork,  Kim 

A new-to-me vintage plate rack is the perfect desk top hold-all for studio treasures - including an orchid from my Grandmother (I hope it'll be happier in here than it was in the kitchen), a Pillsbury Doughboy painting by The Princess, and my ever handy voodoo doll. Now my desk is spiffy clean. Once I've shipped my last painting for the year, I do a happy dance and enjoy some really good chocolate. Then I roll up my sleeves and give the studio a deep cleaning. A couple vintage discoveries made this morning, one of which is pictured above, prompted major reorganization along with the dusting. I'm delighted with the fresh look my work space has taken on and excited to pick the brushes up later tonite and make some magic happen in here. Thanks so much for following along with my artwork, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com 2013 Stats Created 154 paintings (got one more holiday commission left) Shipped 121 paintings (thankful...