Paintings With Soul

    "Clementine," a commissioned painted sketch, image approximately 5" x 6" roughly centered on a 9" x 12" paper, acrylics, depicting an Aussie pup. In process pics of Clem's portrait can be found on  the studio's Facebook page .       Oh boy, did it feel good to dig into the paints today! I'm off to run carpools, but will be back later tonite to play some more.   Best mental health fix ever!! Fondly,  Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

"Roxy (Cattle Dog)," 4" x 5", red heeler pet portrait, acrylic on board. Roxy's painting has a sale pending, but interested parties may email me - ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . (And that includes anyone considering booking their own Dog-a-Day portrait - I'm currently scheduling for January 2010.) Cattle dogs are an acquired taste, but, like steamed clams, they are delightfully slippery and delicious, with larger than life personalities. Being owned by one myself, I have a small bit of experience in that area (and I love steamers). From all I've heard, Roxy was no exception. Even blindness (at age 9) didn't slow her down. She's crossed the bridge now, but I know she's waiting to heartily greet only those she knows. And she'll "herd" them in the right direction when they do show. Speaking of herds, thanks to you, I've shipped close to 100 Painting a Dog a Day - the First Year books! I'll be putting together a second pre...

"Red Tick Coon Dog (Scout)," 6" square, commissioned pet portrait on canvasboard. Thank you to Scout's Mom, who will be sneaking this painting into Dad's stocking next month. I received a number of inquiries in the last few days about where I find my inspirations and how I keep going. Besides in all the faces and personalities I get to profile and a daily dose of coffee, I find them everywhere around me. The golden maple leaves dancing right outside my kitchen window. My kids' first smile each day (which comes hopefully before their first tear). The sound of a dear friend's voice on the phone. The way Finnigan's nubbin of a tail glides underneath his skin. The purr of my black cat, not just the sound, but the feel of it against my chest. The smell of a wet painting. I'm sure we all have triggers that keep us going - those are just a few. I make sure I am surrounded by handfuls of them, all the time. And for those days when it's tough to get in...

“Hope (Poncho),” 5x7, red merle cattle dog pet portrait in acrylic on canvasboard, $90. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . Proceeds from the sale of Poncho’s painting will go to the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. SOLD. Poncho’s story warmed my heart from the get go. I stumbled across it (and Best Friends Animal Sanctuary themselves) while googling for training suggestions and tips geared specifically for neurotic cattle dogs (that’s another story altogether!). But back to Poncho - here’s an excerpt from his bio on the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary site: “Poncho nearly died on his rescuer’s lap!....(he) was found with lots of broken bones, and a rope around his neck that he seemed to have chewed through. A senior citizen picked up the “stray” and rushed him to the vet, on his lap. But the limp dog kept seeming to die on him. His rescuer was terrified by the time they made it to the vet’s office. It took more than 5,000 dollars of surgery to put Poncho back together again. ...