Paintings With Soul

  It’s been 20 years since I began Painting a Dog a Day , the daily pet portrait project that went viral before virality was even an internet thing. It positioned my signature loose and personality packed style at the forefront of pet portraiture at a time when consumers were first purchasing online products. My unique-at-the-time model of partnering with animal centric non profits, helping tell their story while also raising much needed funds for operating expenses, was adapted by many other small business owners. And the practice of painting daily continues to serve me well 25 years into my journey as a professional artist. Last month my online pet portrait workshop opened to great acclaim - we had a countdown to the first day and the students got immediately to work - I can’t stop beaming over what they are creating, it is amazing!   Shifting from independent work alongside gallery and teaching commitments to portraiture requires a serious mental shift (which is one of t...

check her out, bring her home Golden, 12x12, acrylic on flat museum quality panel, available on my website . S&H inside the contiguous US is on me. Hawaiian, Alaskan and Canadian shipping available at additional cost. 20 years ago I began painting daily, starting the pet portrait project Painting a Dog a Day. Over the years I developed a uniquely distinctive style and fresh approach that was eagerly collected by thousands. Yup, that’s not a typo. Shortly into the project things went viral and I had an 18 month long wait list for my daily paintings - it took me a loooonnnng time to get caught up to the demand. It was a lot of fun until it wasn’t - I got burned out around 2017 - and I have done very few pet portraits ever since. Until recently. I visited Kara Bullock at the beginning of May and we filmed my next online workshop focused on the characteristics of my Painting a Dog a Day pieces - loose, impressionistic color in personality packed portraits that can be completed in a sh...

check them out, take one home At left “Berna Pup,” 8”x8”, $525 and at right “Sunshine,” 6”x8,” $470. Both of these paintings are acrylic on flat museum quality panels, available at my website through the above link. S&H inside the contiguous US is on me. Hawaiian, Alaskan and Canadian shipping available at additional cost. 20 years ago I began my commitment to daily painting, starting the pet portrait project Painting a Dog a Day. Shortly in, the project went viral (viral wasn’t even a thing 20 years back!), and   within days I had an 18 month long wait list for daily paintings . Over the years I developed a unique style and fresh approach that was eagerly anticipated by thousands of collectors. It was a lot of fun until it wasn’t - I burned out around 2017 and have done very few pet portraits since. Until recently. I snuck out to visit my friends at   Kara Bullock Art School   earlier this month and we filmed my next online workshop. Of which the above two paintings ...

This is a hard one to hit "send" on. Many of you have been part of this community since Mo joined our family 16 years ago, latching onto to one of The Caped Crusader's hoodie strings at the shelter, then climbing onto his shoulder and refusing to let go. That's how she moved through the world - hooking onto what she wanted, and manifesting it. I am so grateful the kids got to grow up with her sweetness in the household - along with her tenacity. And that she was such a willing muse, as well   We said goodbye to   our little Bug   on Friday. What a treat it was to love on her all these years, although we would’ve gladly taken a few more. She ruled this roost, equally bossing the cattle dog about while curling up with the corgi. She was a beautiful muse and studio companion, the loveliest violet tabby with a penchant for sunshine, watching Animal Cops, sleeping in Sals dog bed (she never budged), and helping tuck the kids in. She loved a good book, voraciously reading a...

  This little painting is one of my most popular images for   reproductions.   I love the sauciness of her! She's a great example of brushwork and color, both topics I'm going into deeply with the second session of the pet portraiture demo, which airs live Monday, May 24th at 7pm. Above, the demonstration paintings from Part One. In this session we discussed in great detail concept development, client communication, and reference photo selection. We also addressed substrates, palette management aspects, and got an underpainting down along with the initial block in of Bean. If you wish to catch up, you can watch the session on demand. Full details are   here . And just like that, we are onto Part Two!! continuing right where we left off, I'll explain how I layer my gestural marks, my choice of color, how I mix said color, and a special focus on the importance of the animal's gaze. My goal is to bring at least Beanie's face to completion, and to tie up/s...

"Rudy & Riley," 11"x14"x1, acrylics on cradled panel, commissioned portrait. HOWEVER, if you recognize these two, please please please keep it on the down low, as the portrait has not been yet gifted (the recipient is not on Facebook). inquiries can always come  to me . For years I have been asked to teach pet portraiture online. I mean years - probably a decade or so. You have been more than patient with me. Which is why I am so thrilled to finally announce that I am doing so! May 18th at 7pm eastern I will begin Part 1 of a live demonstration of a pet portrait. I'm starting from the very beginning, building a composition that will look and feel like our subject, using   the wonderful goofball Bean   as our model. I plan to talk about reference photo curation, composition and design, then go into surface choice and preparation, blocking the painting in, and carry the mark-making until the piece is completed (or close enough that you all get the point). We w...

  "Full Moon (a portrait of Blue)," 14"x18", acrylics on panel, Not currently for sale (I intend to enter this piece in a juried exhibition where it must be for sale), but if you are interested in acquiring this painting in a couple months, inquiries can always come  to me . I love my Blue. As they say with rescue animals, who rescued who? and that's certainly the case with this little guy, who is teaching me to slow down and be clearer and deliberate with my actions. He's also amplified the joy present in my life a thousand fold. Spiritual wisdom tells us that a full moon is a symbol of a heart-centric, new beginning. I believe that our world is readying itself for just that, as vaccines are disbursed and we begin our post-pandemic lives. And who better to amplify that beginning than a little rescue dog, who came to us after 4 other households decided he wasn't the right fit for them. ALSO (a little reward for those of you who are still reading!) I will...

  "Kinsley," 9" x 12", commissioned portrait of such an adorable little girl, acrylics on museum quality panel. This dog painting has a home - but does your home have a dog painting? Museum quality 8" x 10"s featuring one dog on a simple ground start at $499; other sizes and complexities priced accordingly.   Reach out  to start the conversation. Thanks, as always, for following along on my art journey, Warmly, Kim

"Alia," 9"x12"x1", acrylics on cradeled museum quality panel, private collection (thank you very much). Purchase inquiries can always come   to me . Alia learned to smile after being rescued by her new family. It was important that her portrait tell the story of a sweet girl with a new outlook. I was delighted to get to paint her this way, relaxed and happy. If you are looking for something extraordinarily special for yourself or a loved one, reach out. Commissioned paintings are a gift like no other, in that they reflect your own ideals while brightening your home/work space. I work from your personal photos to create a one of a kind portrait that looks - and feels - like your best friend. 8x10s start at $499 -   message me  and let's start planning your project! Thanks for following along with my painting journey, Kim

"Meadow," 18"x24", acrylics and graphite on stonehenge paper, $599 plus s&h to the first asking nicely. This piece will need to be framed and set behind glass by the buyer. I accept Paypal, venmo, personal checks and payment plans. Purchase inquiries can always come   to me . The sun is shining, it's all nice and spring-green outside, except for the snow falling. Big, fat flakes. I'm in denial inside. Thanks for following along with my painting journey, Kim

"Baby Boy (Parker)," 9" x 12", loose study done in acrylics on gallery wrapped canvas, featuring a baby Thoroughbred, reference photo credit to   Linda Shantz , $199 plus s&h to the first asking nicely. I accept Paypal, venmo, personal checks and payment plans. Please   reach out to me   with inquiries or questions. Please also note the special pricing - I consider this piece a sketch, or at least sketchier (meaning looser, not of questionable actions) than my more finished paintings, so am passing that onto you in the form of an affordable price. This is my entry in the recent   Virtual pARTy hosted by Linda Shantz . Long time readers of this blog may recall that about 10 years ago, she and I would host monthly pARTys, where we would share a reference photo and invite anyone to work from it. We had a lot of fun back then, choosing the subject for the pARTy and getting to know so many new artists. Linda decided to resurrect the idea, which I though...

"Tempo," 12" x 12" x 1", acrylics on museum quality cradeled panel, portrait of one heck of a special dog, private collection (THANK YOU!!). Please   reach out to me   with inquiries or questions. Tempo's portrait was mostly painted via a livestream on my FB page, in   a session   I shared last week and   another sideways one earlier today . A third session stretched out over this afternoon, and I think he's close to being done. I've just   sent this jpg off to my collector for her approval - I see one tiny change (picking up the green in his left upper lift, making it a smidge lighter so it floats more so above the tongue), but she will know best if I've properly captured Tempo's larger than life goofiiness. It's not enough that my portraits LOOK like their subject. I want them to FEEL like them too. And while I work from a mess of photos, I could never know the animal as well as their family. Reach out to me   if you want to ...

"The Ancient Ones," 12" x 12", acrylics and graphite on museum quality panel, $449 ($49/mo payments) plus s&h to the first one asking nicely and from a proper distance. I accept paypal, venmo, personal checks and payment plans. I can ship now (via Fed Ex, utilizing their porch pickup) or later. Please   reach out to me   with inquiries or questions. It's rarely difficult for me to title my paintings, particularly when I'm working with in a series. I think I'm at least 10 pieces (2 months) into the rabbits, and I'm still not entirely sure what these paintings are about. So I asked my Oracle Cards the other night what the rabbits meant. I pulled The Ancient Ones card, representing shamans of old who defeated death and escaped time. The Ancient Ones counsel and invite us to reach to the future and birth a new destiny. How's that for some mid-pandemic direction? Rather fitting, isn't it? I didn't have much of a painting mojo this aft...

Kimberly Kelly Santini   paintings with soul because our world needs more beauty Please note that yesterday's post listed incorrect size and pricing information, I guess because I'm human. I apologize for any confusion this might have caused.   "Contessa," 16"x20", acrylics and graphite on a flat panel, $599 plus s&h. I accept paypal, venmo, personal checks and payment plans. Inquiries may always come  to me . SOLD (TY and congratulations to returning collector AK) I have been busy letting beauty into my day, via the easel. Have you welcomed any into yours? (Also, online students got an analysis of the impetus behind the last 5 bunny paintings -   are you over there ?) (Also, did you vote? I was #110 in my precinct this morning.) Thanks, as always, for following along with my artwork journey, Warmly, Kim

"Hedgerow," 18x24x1", cradeled wood panel, acrylics and graphite, $849 plus s&h. I accept paypal, venmo, personal checks and payment plans. Inquiries may always come  to me . This one has evolved all week, with various rabbits coming and going over the course of each painting session. I shared a number of images on   my Facebook page , and will be doing a more thorough explanation of my process in   my Patreon online classroom . But meanwhile, I'm going to sit and look at this painting, with her cloud bunny, and pretend it's not 300 degrees below zero outside today. Thanks, as always, for following along with my artwork journey, Warmly, Kim