Paintings With Soul

"That is the Way it Was," 23" circular panel, acrylic on pine, featuring my rescued bunny Gertrude Stein, $999 plus s&h to the first asking kindly. Inquiries may always come   to me.  I accept paypal, venmo, personal checks and payment plans. Some days, I question my calling altogether. What's most important when this happens is to show up anyway, and continue to show up. Because the brushes won't pick themselves up and finish the piece for us. Thanks, as always, for following along with my art journey, Warmly, Kim

"Follow the White Rabbit," 16" x 20", acrylics on gallery wrapped canvas, $649 plus s&h to the first asking nicely. I accept paypal, venmo, personal checks and payment plans. Inquiries may come   to me . So this painting took me about 3 years to finish, not because I didn't spend enough time on her, but because I couldn't properly resolve the idea. I had this vision of an otherworldly bunny, but the previous versions were either too silly, too derivative, or too literal. The lucky collector gets all of them - they are buried underneath this final version. Thanks, as always, for following along with my art journey, Warmly, Kimalice

"Scatterghost," 20" circle, acrylics on gallery wrapped canvas, $899 plus s&h to the first asking nicely. I accept paypal, venmo, personal checks and payment plans. Inquiries may come   to me . The Christchurch shooting has me feeling all sorts of feels. They settled in heavily alongside the news, and I began trying to wrap my brain around how to paint such a monstrous thing. It began with the idea of fragility, and how quickly the balance of life can shift. The painting   Delicate   (who sold while still on my easel - thank you so much AK!) came off my brushes, followed by this one. Scatterghost takes her title from the Mary Oliver poem   "The Rabbit,"   which is also a tale of life and death, although a sweeter one by far. At a time when there are no words, I am grateful to have my paints. Thanks, as always, for following along with my art journey, Warmly, Kim

In process detail view of "Incredulous," 18" x 24", acrylics on panel. This one is currently unspoken for - inquiries can come to   me . On the eve of American Thanksgiving, I am feeling enormously gratefu to be living a creative life. And this is a life that you, the reader, has made possible.  "Thank you" can't possibly sum up the entirety of what I am feeling. Regardless of whether you celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow, know that I will be celebrating your presence in my life. Love, whether delivered in person or across the miles, is coming your way from Michigan. Thanks, as always, for following along with my artwork. Warmly, Kim PS I have gotten SO many Black-Friday-Markdown-Buy-Now-and-Buy-Lots emails the last couple weeks that I've become numb to them. It saddens me, my culture's seemingly total focus on consumerism vs a focus on joining together around a table to share a meal. I hope that your hearths and hearts are overflowin...

"Cameo," 12" x 16", acrylics on panel. Available to the  first asking nicely , $579 (includes s&h inside the US). Thank you so much. Thanks for supporting my art, Warmly, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com   WORKSHOPS:  May 17-20th, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Please contact Betty Klenke for more information.  June 21-23rd, Montague, Michigan. Please contact Korrine Rogers for more information.

FINISHED: "Emerald (aka Emmie)," 10" x 24", acrylics on panel. Available to the  first asking nicely , $649 (includes s&h inside the US). Thank you so much. Working a little today, taking advantage of an empty house and a quiet snow falling outside. Looking forward to spending the afternoon with a book and a cat on my lap! Thanks for supporting my art, Warmly, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com   

"Sweet Pea," 16" x 20", acrylics on panel, featuring a teeny tiny baby bunny (lionhead? angora?) with the sweetest little white nose, nestled in a mass of sweet peas. This piece has less detail than the others I've been doing, and I rather like the sketchiness of it - consequently, the price reflects this as well. $599 will get Sweet Pea delivered to your door (inside the US). Inquiries may come to me. SOLD (thank you so much!) I've been working on this one since Sunday, picking her up when the larger pieces need some time to dry. Overall, I've got about a dozen different works in various stages in the studio right now. It's a wild menagerie!

FINISHED: "Wisteria," 24" x 30", acrylics on panel, featuring a harlequin bunny with her wisteria crown. Wisteria has a new home with a long time collector, for which I am very grateful. I'm happy to paint more rabbits - inquiries may always come  to me . Thanks for following along with my artwork, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com   

IN PROCESS: TOP, detail, BOTTOM, full painting - "Wisteria," 24" x 30", acrylics on panel, featuring a harlequin bunny and a headpiece made of wisteria. It can be yours for $599 (includes complimentary shipping inside the US). Also, as with all my work, payment plans are an option, and I accept credit cards through Paypal. Inquiries may always come  to me . SOLD (thank you very much!) My wisteria bloomed over the weekend, so of course, I had to paint it. Don't you love the leaves and stems?  Thanks for following along with my artwork, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com   

FINISHED!! "Lilac," 24" x 30", acrylics and watercolor pencil on masonite, featuring a rabbit with an explosion of spring lilacs growing from her head, $599 to the first one asking nicely. I don't think Lilac will be hanging around my studio for terribly long - there is only one original - please email me if you are interested! SOLD (thank you!) When one of my besties, nicknamed Mother Rabbit, gushes over fresh lilacs, then suggests the two worlds collide, this is what happens.

"Easter Brunch," 9" x 12", acrylics and mixed media (pencil, charcoal, pastels) on museum quality panel, depicting a lop eared bunny and a tasty assortment of blooms, $549 (with complimentary s&h inside the US) to the first asking nicely . Easter Brunch is an older painting I freshened up with florals. The online class I'm taking is still ongoing, and I'm learning so much about layering marks and staying loose - I love learning and playing with my tools! Thanks for following along with my artwork, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com  

"Dandelion," 9" x 12", acrylics on museum quality panel, embellished with gold leaf, depicting a bunny rabbit. This painting is $649 with complimentary shipping inside the US - if you are interested, please  let me know .  Another muse from my Facebook bunny owners group, this is Bonnie. She belongs to JBFG, and let me tell you, this woman is a powerhouse, nurturing/raising/releasing all sorts of orphaned/abandoned baby animals. She's got me thinking about a series of squirrel paintings this spring.... that is, if I can stop painting rabbits! What would you like to see me paint next? Thanks for following along with my artwork, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com  

"Chillin (Oliver)," 9" x 9", acrylics on museum quality panel, depicting therapy bunny Oliver. This painting is $399 with complimentary shipping inside the US - if you are interested, please  let me know .  Oliver and I met via a Facebook group for rabbit owners. The rest, as they say, is history. I'm very grateful to Oliver's mom MT for allowing me to paint Chillin using her photos. Thanks for following along with my artwork, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com  

"24K Bun," 8" x 10", acrylics with gold leaf on museum quality panel, depicting a very content bunny rabbit encased in gold. Yup, gold - not gold paint, but gold leaf. This painting is $499 with complimentary shipping inside the US - if you are interested, please  let me know .  SOLD (thank you!) I've been curious about the difference between metal as a surface (painting on copper) and metal as a layer (using leaf). Today my friend Deb gave me some gold leaf to try out and I got experiment (thank you Deb!). There's pros and cons to each, and perhaps in the future there might even be a piece that combines both. But for now I'm very happy with what I am learning. And the way this one turned out. (And there was lots of giggling at the gold flaked boogers I blew out of my nose earlier too.) (And in case you recognize the bunny , this is an older painting that I reworked with my paint pens, fresh dashes of saturated color, a few value sh...

"Luna Lapin," 6" x 6-1/2", acrylics on copper, portrait of a black lop-eared bunny rabbit, $599 to the first one asking nicely. In process photos are here , and a short video is also over here . Let me give a shout out to CC from House Rabbit Society for allowing me to paint her Luna today. Thank you for permission to work from your lovely photo! Ok, I'm back to work. Tonight I teach! Thanks for your interest in my artwork, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com  

"Lionhead," image roughly 6" x 6" on a 9" x 12" foamcore mounted multimedia artboard, ink and acrylics, inspired by The Princess's pet bunny Dorit, $149.  Email me if you would like this rabbit for your own - and thank you so much for your interest! Also, if you are not familiar with Lionhead rabbits, you need to be.  Check them out here and here . And try not to fall in love. Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com 

"Hat Trick," 8" x 11", acrylics on panel depicting a magical white rabbit. The inspiration photo for this painting came from the archives at www.PaintMyPhoto.ning.com . Hat Trick needs a home - just $439 will get him to your doorstep (inside the contiguous US). Inquiries may come directly to me . In process photos  here (thank you for peeking!). ORDER NOTECARDS/TOTES/BEDDING/PILLOWS/CELLPHONE CASES The Weekend? Already? Yes, that is a lament, for real. Because I feel as though I'm onto something with these new paintings. My brain is leapfrogging through them and making connections and spooling off a mess of new ideas, and it doesn't slow down, not even at night (I've been painting in my sleep, too).  And this week, today, ends my post-Derby buffer zone. I scheduled a generous no commission timeframe so that I could roll with whatever inspiration or ideas hit me immediately after my Kentucky Derby experience.  I think...

You can download the file   directly from my website . I've set up a couple different ways to do this, either via the photo album or a direct link.   I am not an expert on operating systems, so if you don't know how to change your desktop wallpaper, please don't email me - I will indubitably steer you wrong. Your computer's help files will be more concise, more knowledgeable and more responsive than I could ever hope to be.    I've sized this to fit a standard screen height of 768 - I realize there are lots of variables that could impact how the file displays on your screen. Let me know if, once you get the file installed, there are display quality issues (keep in mind, too, that options such as "stretching to fit," "tiling" and "cropping" will impact your display, so check those first!).   Thanks, as always, for following along with my artwork, Kim

From last April, "Easter Bunny III", 10" x 10" (my scanner only grabbed 10" x 9", but the missing sliver is a continuation of the darker ground and whiskers), acrylics on museum quality panel depicting a sweet lop eared rabbit. This painting is yours for $539 and proceeds from this sale will benefit bunny rescue at my local no-kill animal shelter. Inquiries may come directly to me . SOLD (thank you!) The pace of the week is carrying into my weekend. We have a lacrosse game and team dinner, a friends and family drumline performance and fundraiser, winter percussion State Championships, and a 3 day dance competition that starts in 2 hours. I'd best get moving! Enjoy your weekend! Thanks, as always, for following along with my artwork! Warmly, Kim   ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

"Dorrit," 9" x 12", ink and acrylics on sketch paper, depicting our lionhead bunny. This piece will go to the first one offering $100 - with the added bonus of getting a house bunny who doesn't need a litter box! As always, inquires may always come directly to me .   SOLD (thank you!) Chasing Rabbits That's the phrase Carla Sonheim uses to describe active play. The homework she assigned us this week is to actively play with our supplies. Ahh, yeah, I can SO do that! (and feel like I kinda did yesterday when playing around with the background to Dreamer ).  Ever since the bunny took up residence inside the house (to avoid the polar vortex), I've been itching to sketch her. Which I finally did today. AFTER I blocked in a new commissioned portrait. This is a single lined contour drawing, laid down in pencil first, then embellished with a little paint, then inked. I'm calling these Contour Doodles. They are grand f...