Paintings With Soul

  "Viola," 18" x 24", acrylics on panel, $799 plus s&h. Please note that the watermark is not on the original painting. Returning collectors always receive 10% off. I accept Paypal, personal checks and payment plans. Feel free to directly  message me  with your inquiries. So I thought I would have this painting, which I've been working on for a number of days, done today probably around noon. That would give me plenty of time to photograph and post her here to my newsletter and still be able to work on some other projects. I really mis-judged how long she would take to complete. I signed her shortly after 8pm. But every second was worth it. And I feel even more energized, if that is at all possible, than I did when I started working this morning. She'll come to my critique group tomorrow for an impartial assessment. I imagine there will be minor tweaks. Or rather, I suppose I should say that I hope the feedback I receive involves minor tweaks. At the mom...

  "The Torch Bearer," full painting and detail images above, 16" x 20", acrylics on panel, $649 plus s&h to the first asking nicely. Please note that the watermark is not on the original painting. Returning collectors always receive 10% off. I accept Paypal, personal checks and payment plans. Feel free to directly  message me  with your inquiries. Kentucky Derby Week was always a holiday in my mind. When I was a kid, my butterflies grew with each day, as I eagerly anticipated a rare afternoon of televised horse racing. It became even more of a special event when I was honored as the official artist of the 2015 Kentucky Derby (yes, the same year that American Pharoah swept the Triple Crown). I continue to mark this week by losing myself in all things equine, as the race approaches and the pagaentry builds. "The Torch Bearer" carries much significance to me. The reference photos came from a visit to Win Star Farms in Lexington just a few days before ...

"Surviving," 20" x 16" x 1/2", acrylic on gallery wrap canvas (image painted around the sides so no need to frame), $649 plus s&h to the first asking kindly. I accept paypal/venmo/personal checks and welcome payment plans.   Please reach out   and let me know how we can get you "Surviving." It's Kentucky Derby Week, which means I will be sharing equine paintings in the days leading up to Saturday.  This is a new piece fresh from the easel. I titled it "Surviving" after   Kaz Hawkin's poignant song of the same title. While the song is about her own story of domestic abuse, it's a swansong for anyone seeking change, and I know there's many of us doing so these days.   Listen to the song and know that you can survive, too . Thanks, as always, for following along with my art journey, Warmly, Kim

FINISHED! "Black Rose," 24" x 48", acrylics, charcoal and ink on panel, featuring a Friesian galloping with a crown of various roses. She's $1499 to your door (inside the US), and returning collectors receive 10% off additional purchases of original art. Inquiries may come to me . I am exhausted - this painting has been on my easel all week, and constantly getting revised/painted in my head when I'm not in front of it. I'm onto something, though. This is a breakthrough piece - it's opened many doors. And windows. My head is exploding with the potential! Meanwhile, detail here . Thanks for following along with my artwork, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com    Shop Reproductions Here   WORKSHOPS: "Color-iffic," Montague, Michigan (near Grand Rapids), September 8-9th, 2016. For further information or to enroll, please contact  Korrine Rodgers . "Color-iffic", 2 days, Crooked Tree Art Center, T...

FINISHED! "Stepping Out," 14" x 18", acrylics on museum quality panel, depicting a black Gypsy Vanner horse. I couldn't be happier with this piece - the color and movement and edge treatment fills me with joy. This is a special piece, I think one of my best to date, and, as such, it needs a special home.  Let me know if you think that's yours. $1299 includes complimentary shipping inside the US. This fills me with happiness - celebrating the things I love by making beauty. Thanks for following along with my artwork, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com  

"The Black," 8" x 10", acrylics on a museum quality panel, commissioned portrait of one very beloved horse. We all know The Black Stallion , right? I grew up reading and re-reading Walter Farley's novels, and The Black was a favorite of mine. So when I was asked to paint this Black, even though he lives in a modern day barn, my heart journeyed back to my childhood. This Black became THE Black. Because that's what a little imagination can do. Prints, cell phone cases, tote bags, tshirts, shower curtains - you name it - a whole mess of goodies are available here, each one featuring The Black. http://pixels.com/featured/the-black-kimberly-santini.html?newartwork=true Also, if you are good at procrastinating (I'm a pro), we have a little time left to gift original art - I have the toy paintings for $75 , a few intimately sized pieces under $100 , ink and paint pieces for $149 , and lots of larger works. $50 (or less) can get you a c...

"Crest," 3" x 11", acrylics on museum quality panel, depicting a chestnut horse's neckline, $249 (with complimentary shipping and handling to a US address). In the same vein as reworking old paintings with new knowledge, this is a little piece done from a favorite reference photo which I have painted before. Each time I revisit the idea, it turns into something new.  Email me if you would like to to own this treasure of a painting - and thank you so much for your interest! Last year I took the entire month of December off. I'd never done that before. If you recall, in 2014 I encountered far too many goodbyes, and when my daughter's friend got her wings in September (cancer sucks), I decided to focus on family over the holidays instead of taking on extra commission work. I suppose it was a good thing, because in December my minivan got totaled (I had just paid it off!!) and I found myself unexpectedly shopping for a new car. Days...

In process, "Family Outing," 16" x 24", acrylics on museum quality panel, depicting four sweet Cavalier King Charles Spaniel rescues. This is a commissioned piece started last week. It's getting closer to being finished (I'm hoping tomorrow, but I have a loooooooong to-do list for tomorrow already). You can follow along with it's progression here . Meanwhile, email me if you would like to talk about something equally special for yourself (commissioned portraits start at $399).

"Tandem," 8" x 8", acrylics on museum quality panel, depicting a Thoroughbred getting ponied to the starting gate at Saratoga Racetrack, $399 (includes shipping and handling to a US address). Email me if you would like to to own this lovely chestnut racehorse and his delightful gray sidekick - two horses for the price of one!. Thinking about the design elements of this composition - the weave of legs (don't you LOVE that they are in stride?), the red legwraps balanced by the red dotted silks, the tails streaming in the same direction. All intentional considerations (I had a series of photographs of this pair) when planning this particular painting. Their rhythm set off by the riders' separate poses/seats creates an interesting tension. This makes me smile. I know it'll find a home and make someone else do the same. Thanks, as always, for following along with my artwork, Warmly, Kim   ksantini@turtledovedesigns.co...

"Champion (Inspired by American Pharoah)," 6" x 8", acrylics on museum quality panel, inspired by none other than the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Belmont, Haskell and Breeder's Cup winner American Pharoah. $329 includes shipping and handling to a US address, going home with the first one asking nicely. SOLD. And if you are so inclined to add a bit more of The Sport of Kings to your life, this link will take you to cell phone cases, shower curtains, tshirts and other products. Fans of my work will remember that about this time last year, I was FINALLY able to share the honor of being chosen as the 2015 Kentucky Derby artist  (the painting was created in secret last summer-fall).  It was such a crazy thing to be offered the job, out of the blue - a perfect validation of the years spent creating and my horseless-yet-horse-crazy-racehorse-studded childhood. Had anyone told me that 2015 would also be the year of a Triple Crown winner , ...

"Exquisite (Little One II)," 6-1/2" x 9", acrylics on copper, depicting the same little foal as yesterday . This painting is absolutely stunning when studied in the moving light - sections of the surface are exposed copper, and the metal reflects and absorbs the light as the viewer moves in closer. This piece is $699, which includes shipping and handling to a US address.  Here's a short video - you gotta see this to believe it!   Maybe you would like both paintings? We can work that out for certain - $899 will bring them both home.  Let me know  how I can make this happen for you (payment plan, credit card, etc). A Random Comment on Facebook.... ....stating the viewer thought yesterday's painting (above, on the left) was on copper got me thinking. Why not give it a try? A second comment of "exquisite" gave todays piece (above, on the right) it's title. Wow. This comparison truly brings home th...

"daVinci," 8" x 10", acrylics on copper, a painting of my devil, err, studio, kitty. daVinci's latest portrait is an exploration of my fascination with copper panels. And, I suppose you could add, a parallel fascination with tabby cats and general feline attitude (I still cannot fathom the appeal of eating the tulle underskirt of a dress, but I guess that's why I hold the paintbrush and he uses the litterbox). This piece, which truly is exquisite in person, is $799, which include s&h inside the US. All inquiries may  come to me . Yesterday one of my students blogged about her sadness that more adults didn't embrace play . That's an idea that resonated with me - so easily we get caught up in seriousness and forget about running in the grass barefoot or lying on our backs looking for shapes in the clouds. It's all about paying bills and getting the laundry done and playing it safe. So my mission today was to find so...

"On the Turf II," 6" x 8", acrylics on museum quality panel, starring a bayThoroughbred race horse and jockey. This piece is $329 (which includes s&h inside the US). Inquiries may always  come to me , and thank you so much.  Tomorrow I will be setting up a temporary studio at Spa Fine Art and painting all afternoon and evening. I plan to work on pieces similar to this one, using photos I shot at the track today. Which means I need to start editing photos, like, 10 minutes ago. Thanks, as always, for following along with my artwork, Warmly, Kim  

"Saratoga, August," 9" x 12", acrylics on museum quality panel, depicting three campaigners getting hosed down on their return to the barns after racing. How I LOVE to stand along the rail and watch the rainbows from the mist as the horses walk by, glistening wet and reflecting all sorts of color themselves. This piece is $549 (which includes s&h inside the US). In process images are here  and inquiries may  come to me .  Horse Racing is On My Mind..... Next week I head east for my annual trek to the magical town of Saratoga Springs, New York. This year three other artists will be journeying in the same direction (from Tennessee, Connecticut, and New York). We all will convene around the kitchen table Thursday evening with ice cream spoons and wine glasses. Friday morning it'll be to the track for early morning workouts, then into town for coffee and pastries at Mrs Londons , then perhaps a trip out to Old Friends (a Thoroughbred r...

"Tail Lights," (4) (yes, you read that correctly) 6" x 8" panels, when, placed side by side, depict an entire field of race horses, overall painting size 24" x 8". I have photoshopped black lines in between so that you can see how the design breaks across the panels. This is acrylics on museum quality panels, priced at $1199 (all 4 panels come together). In process images are here and inquiries may  come to me .  My Saratoga gallery asked for some pieces around 8" x 10" or smaller and I got the seemingly-brilliant-at-the-time idea to create a series of horse butt racing scenes, all individual. So I set my easel up with four, planning to attack the first batch all at once. And then that seemingly-brilliant-at-the-time idea blossomed into something entirely different. What if instead I painted an entire field of horses, running away from the viewer, but stretched them artistically across the four panels? I would end u...

Here's my high school senior and my high school freshman. Unbelievable, isn't it? So cliche, but only yesterday they were splashing together in a kiddie pool with the dog. Oh wait, that WAS yesterday....... We are kicking summer vacation off with a long weekend with the Kelly's.  6 families, 10 of the 11 grandkids (The Man Child is gone for the summer, training and touring with Madison Scouts Drum Corps), hours of whiffle ball, monster sized bonfires, Apples to Apples tournaments, and weather permitting, time on the water. Assuming I'll have internet/cell coverage, I will check email and respond to orders and more pressing details. Otherwise, you won't hear from me until Tuesday. There's still some Kentucky Derby and Oaks posters remaining, for those of you just learning about the personalized offer. They can be customized with a special message and quick doodle - who isn't excited about seeing a Triple Crown winner this year (a...

Want to get your own personalized 2015 Kentucky Derby or Oaks poster? I have limited quantities of each available for special inscriptions and doodles - above is just a sampling of what you could get. Inquiries may always come to me . I have (50) Kentucky Derby and (50) Kentucky Oaks posters, each featuring my own official artwork of the 2015 Kentucky Derby, available. Until now, I had no inventory of the posters (and posters are all I have inventory of - for other Derby related gifts please visit Derby Art Gifts ). I will further personalize these posters with a special message and quick doodle - this makes them uniquely yours and is a fantastic way to commemorate our Triple Crown winner American Pharoah! (and what a cool Father's Day gift!!) 2015 Kentucky Derby poster, with personalization, $50 (image & details here) 2015 Kentucky Oaks poster, with personalization, $40 (image & details here) S&H inside the US (up to 3 un...

IN PROCESS: "The Winner's Circle, American Pharoah," 24-3/4" x 24", depicting Triple Crown champion American Pharoah (after winning the Kentucky Derby) on his way to the winner's circle at Churchill Downs. This was my spectacular view on Derby day, painted from iPhone photos I snapped. This painting is acrylics on a museum quality panel and is available for $2980 (including s&h within the US) to the first asking nicely. Inquiries may always come  to me.  In process photos are  here. Unbelievable! Did you see it? The Belmont Stakes ?   And can you guess that I cried huge silent elephant tears when, at the top of the stretch, American Pharoah started pulling away? (if you also guessed that my children ridiculed me, you should earn a special prize!) I couldn't believe it - I was too young to clearly remember Affirmed, the last Triple Crown winner. And honestly, there had been a flurry of champions taking this honor in m...

"PJ," 5" x 10", acrylics on panel depicting a dream come true. My collector has wanted a horse her entire life, and PJ has made that dream possible. We waited until he shed his winter coat, and it was worth it - look at that sheen and those dapples! PJ is one happy, healthy horse, and I hope that my collector is equally as so with his portrait. In process photos are  here. This one is sold, but should you like something similar, inquiries may come directly to me . It Was a Busy Weekend Isn't that what happens come spring? Our weekends get packed with outdoor activites, end of school year events, family gatherings, yard work, team banquets, concerts and recitals. And yet we look forward to it, all the long, hard winter.   This weekend was split between a rainy and cold Relay for Life with The Caped Crusader and dress rehearsal with The Princess. Next weekend will involve photo shoots with both kids and a dance recital. And, o...

In Process Detail, "The First Furlong," 11" x 24", acrylics on panel depicting a quartet of Thoroughbreds just a few strides from the starting gate. When finished, this painting will be available for purchase for $1399, which includes special delivery to your doorstep (inside the contiguous US). Inquiries may come directly to me . In process photos  here .  Where Did the Day Go?   Today was one of those days that zipped by without my knowledge.    I did a mess of emails, made a couple phone calls, reviewed reference photos, planned two exhibition pieces, got high resolution image files off to a licensing agent, paid bills, unpacked from last night's class, and yet it feels like it should only be 1pm or so, not 4:30. Ah well, I guess that means the weekend is that much closer, right?   Hoping you have some wonderful plans for your Memorial Day Weekend. We will be getting our veggie garden in and spending time with family - t...