Paintings With Soul

I rose early this morning to get household things like grocering done so that I could spend the bulk of the day with my paints (and there's nothing like a full fridge to keep kids outta my hair!!).   Here's where we left off with Mya's portrait  last week . Starting with a bright turquoise underpainting, I got her blocked in, sculpting her face with large and broad marks.     Today I started with identifying the deeper shadows inside her mask. She's got a light mask, but the density of her fur cast a smoky, dark shadow underneath the dusky fur on top. Instead of painstakingly painting all those little pockets of shadow, I laid down several dark and inky swaths of paint (remember I am a lazy painter!).    I also popped some more of that turquoise back in to her face. Having the background more of a neutral tone allowed me to see that her expression could use a little more "oomph" of color.     Now is the trickier part - mixing translucent glazes...

I started a new commission, a 12" x 14" portrait of a gorgeous Husky (Malamute? I don't know the difference - someone educate me please!). Since the painting was too big for me to complete in one day, I decided to give you yet another step-by-step.   Don't you love this underpainting? It's Light Turquoise (Pthalo) and while I don't use it that often, when I do it just makes me smile. It will add the perfect accent to all the purples and blues in Mya's coat, and play a nice compliment to the warmer buff tones in her shoulders.   You can see my sketch, done loosely in a paler version of the underpainting - I just identified where Mya's face was going to sit, and roughed out the shape of her skull before reaching for more color.     Here I've started to sculpt her face - with a Husky, because their skin and fur thickly blanket their head, it is key that I get the planes identified properly at this stage. Otherwise she'll look like a stuffed anim...

"Tsiko's Eyes," 5" x 7", portrait of a rescued Husky mix, the latest addition to my "Black and White" series of paintings. This painting was done in Golden Open acrylics on an Ampersand Gessobord and could be yours for $289. Inquiries may always come to me . SOLD (thank you!) Tsiko (pronounced See-ko) is an Isabella white husky, estimated to be about 5 years old, and he was adopted from the humane society. He was found by animal control wandering at age 3 months - why anyone would let a 12 week old pup out and not try to find them is beyond me. But his family knows they lucked out! And perhaps Tsiko got lucky too - he escorts the kids to the busstop, baseball and soccer games and even vacations with them. He takes his job as family dog very seriously. The "Black and White" paintings depict animals that are black or white or black and white. But the painted versions are anything but black and white. This series allows me the opportunity...

"Snow Bunny (Laika)," 8" square, acrylic on panel, commissioned pet portrait of a rescued mixed breed (Husky-retriever mix?), private collection (THANK YOU!). Inquiries (including booking your own pet portrait, from miniature size [4" x 4"] to larger than life) may always come to me . Laika joined her family after they lost another dear rescue, Hachi (who I've also painted - you can see his portrait here ). Laika was discovered at a rescue event, and her peeps fell head over heels in love with her sweet nature and gloriously soft fur. Looking to add another member to your family? Check with your local shelter to learn more about adoption events in your area. There's so many wonderful companion animals looking for new homes - and it could be yours!! Thanks, as always, for looking at - and sharing - my artwork and musings with your friends and family. Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com www.paintingadogaday.com FACEBOOK: Kimberly Kelly Santini TWITTE...

FROM TOP/LEFT:  "Chinook," 5" x 7" and "Xena," 6" x 8", commissioned Husky portraits, acrylic on canvasboard, both in a private collection (THANK YOU!). Inquiries may come  to me .   Chinook and Xena are siblings who have been waiting very patiently (almost a year) for their turn to be painted as Dog-a-Days. I would like to thank their family and all my other clients - I sometimes feel ridiculous asking customers to wait this long for a painting, and I am very appreciative of everyone queuing so politely.   I'm a couple Dog-a-Day paintings behind and will see what I can get accomplished over the weekend. I'm also busy editing my latest columns for  Art Career Experts  and continuing work on the second Painting a Dog a Day book representing artwork from 2008. And as you know, there's at least another 10 projects going on in the wings.   I've added several memorials to the  Dog-a-Days In Memoriam  pages in recent weeks and have a fe...

"Nino," 4" x 6", husky mix pet portrait , acrylic on canvasboard, $115. $22 from the sale of Nino's portrait will be donated to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kenab Utah. Inquiries may come to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . SOLD. Nino has been at Best Friends 10 years now. He shows aggression towards other dogs and did bite someone, although he loves people. I love his deep fur and the smoky whiskers - he has the knowledge of a kindly old gentleman in his eyes. "Simba," 4" x 8", beagle mix dog portrait , acrylic on canvasboard. $26 from the sale of Simba's portrait will be donated to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kenab Utah. Inquiries again may come to me at ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . Simba came to Best Friends from an overcrowded and understaffed shelter in New York, where circumstances provided very little contact with humans or other dogs. Since her arrival she has been busy learning socialization skills, and ...

“Take Me Home With You…..”, 4” x 8”, husky pet portrait in acrylic on canvasboard, $90. $18 from the sale of this painting will go to the Oakland Pet Adoption Center in the buyers’ name. Available to the first buyer – all inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . SOLD. For those of you who are new to the Painting a Dog-a-Day group, here’s how Shelter & Rescue Week works. Each of the paintings completed this week are available to the first buyer, with 20% of the sales being returned to the host shelter. ALSO, if you have an animal you’ve adopted from the profiled shelter, and commission a portrait of them during the month of September, 20% of your purchase will be donated back to the shelter. Last week I visited the Oakland Pet Adoption Center (OPAC), in Auburn Hills, Michigan. I wandered their halls, took in the sights, and tried not to get emotionally involved. With all those eyes looking back at me, it was impossible. I left with about 200 photos, and an aching heart. There...

“(Not So) Spaz,” 6x8, mixed breed pet portrait in acrylic on canvasboard, private collection (thank you!). Spaz is a husky-border collie (?) mix who has finally, at 14 years of age, outgrown her well-earned name. I was excited to paint her fur – the combination of the shorter hairs that lay tightly against her muzzle and eyes and then graduated out to the longer wispier edges that frame her face. I mixed three pools of glazes in various shades of red-violet, blue, and blue violet, and used multiple brushes to layer the strokes and color. Adding a bit of orange and red into the eyes was the final touch. I need to send out a belated thank you to Barbara Pope, who found two dog-a-day paintings in the archives to add to her purchase of “Pasha’s Eyes” from the other week. What a nice package you’ll get next week, Barbara! The Painting a Dog a Day blog ( http://www.paintingadogaday.blogspot.com/ ) is searchable by keywords. I tried to make it simple by using breed names and designations lik...

“Husky Eyes (Sheba),” 5x7, husky pet portrait in acrylic on canvasboard, $60. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . SOLD. I love the masks that huskys wear, and since I’ll be making a zillion of them today (see below), I thought this image would be a fitting way to start things off! Now I’m off to our local library, where I’ll be leading two children’s classes. Initially we were going to decorate the sidewalks around the library with an animal parade of sidewalk chalk, but as there apparently will be thunderstorms rolling in, we’ll have to shift to Plan B: A banner depicting an animal parade. And, of course, animal masks for all the participants. Enjoy your evenings, whatever they might involve, whether it’s a roll or two of thunder or some quiet time with a book. And thanks, as always, for looking, and sharing these paintings with your friends and family, Kim Kimberly Kelly Santini http://www.turtledovedesigns.com/ distinctive pet portraits & 4-legged paintings http://ww...

“Mia,” 6” x 12”, puppy portrait in acrylic on canvasboard, $80. Proceeds from the sale of this painting will go to the Michigan Humane Society. Inquiries may come to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . SOLD. Mia and her siblings were at the Rochester Hills branch of the Michigan Humane Society just a few short weeks ago. Mia has been adopted, and now has her very own boy. Her life will be a good one, filled with camping trips, swimming in the lake, and some serious duck chasing. I had fun painting all the greens and violets in Mia’s fur, and getting that precocious puppy expression. If you have adopted an animal from the Rochester Hills branch of the Michigan Humane Society and commission your own dog-a-day portrait before May 31st, 20% of your sale will be donated to the shelter. Please contact me for more information – ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . Return collector JoAnne Little gets a big tail wag from Sadie and her colleagues at Friends of Michigan Animal Rescue for her purchase ...

Here is Kenai, Churchill’s partner in crime. My take is that she’s smarter than he, or perhaps she’s just content to be his audience. Either way, they make for a great team. Because Kenai is the quieter partner, I averted her gaze, and set her against a darker ground. This created a self-contained space. The blues and violets echo this effect, and the result is a wonderful little painting. Kenai, 5x7, acrylic dog painting on canvasboard. Private collection. Thanks, as always, for looking. And for sharing these paintings with family and friends. Kim Kimberly Kelly Santini http://www.turtledovedesigns.com/ distinctive pet portraits & 4-legged paintings http://www.paintingadogaday.com/ come. sit. stay. enjoy the art. Founding member of the Canine Art Guild http://www.canineartguild.com/ the gateway to canine art on the web

Meet Churchill, an especially endearing malamute who excels at sneaking food off countertops and letting himself out. Now, if he could just learn to close the door behind himself…. In this painting, I blocked in the basic shapes and then blended the wet paint with a drybrush. I built several layers of translucent glaze up this way, finally going in overtop with the sharper edges of his eyes, which also carry the densest spots of color. “Churchill,” 6x8, acrylic on canvasboard. SOLD. Thanks, as always, for looking. And for sharing these paintings with friends and family. Kim Kimberly Kelly Santini http://www.turtledovedesigns.com/ distinctive pet portraits & 4-legged paintings http://www.paintingadogaday.com/ come. sit. stay. enjoy the art. Founding member of the Canine Art Guild http://www.canineartguild.com/ the gateway to canine art on the web

"Howl (Husky Study)," 4x6, dog painting in acrylic on canvasboard, $50. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com SOLD. I almost titled this painting "Caroling," and entertained myself while painting with lists of possible tunes he could be belting out. "Silent Night" and "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" were my two favorites. I messed up!! My apologies! I had this piece completed yesterday (December 12th), and posted it to my newsgroup in the afternoon, but neglected to log in later in the evening and share it with you. Thanks, as always, for looking, and for sharing my paintings with your interested friends and family! Happy holidays, Kim PET PORTRAITS: www.turtledovedesigns.com PAINTING A DOG-A-DAY: www.paintingadogaday.com