Paintings With Soul

  "Angel," 16" x 20", commissioned life sized portrait of a bull mastiff, acrylics on museum quality panel, private collection (THANK YOU!). In process photos of Angel's portrait are on  Facebook . And as always, inquiries may come  to me .     I'm looking for a few good muses - think your companion animal has what it takes?  Send me  some non-flash photos and we can talk!!   Thanks for following along with my artwork, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com  

IN PROCESS:  "Angel," 16" x 20", commissioned life sized portrait of a bull mastiff, acrylics on museum quality panel, private collection (THANK YOU!). In process photos of Angel's portrait will be updated to  Facebook  as I continue working. And as always, inquiries may come  to me .     Angle's Mom and I have been corresponding for 18mos, working out the details of a perfect portrait. I think we nailed it!   I can do the same thing for you -  let's start our own conversation !   Thanks for following along with my artwork, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

"Sparkles," 6" x 8", portrait of a vintage clown doll head, acrylics on museum quality panel (so that this little guy creeps you out FOREVER!!). Only $329 to the first one brave enough to hang him in their home!  Inquiries may come  to me .     Here's to a fun-filled summer.   Bwah ha ha ha ha.   And I promise to return to the dogs next week!! Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

         From June 2011, "Baby Moo," 5" square, Golden Open Acrylics on artists' Ampersand gessobord, depicting a young Holstein calf. This painting is available for $239 - inquiries may come  to me .   Taking a walk down memory lane today, remembering a end-of-school-year celebratory trip to a local diary for ice cream.  We took lots of farm pics, and I hurried home to paint this little gem.   What were you doing this time last year? Two years ago? longer?   Thanks for following along with my artwork, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com  

    Above, circa 2000, The Man Child with a couple of Grandpa's hunting dogs. Below, same dimply boy, just a little bigger and with marimba, fall 2012.   Tonite this young man will walk across a stage with a cap and gown on. I hope my eyes are dry enough to actually see it play out.   Thank YOU - because of YOUR support of my artwork, I was able to work-from-home and get involved in every facet of his life - or rather, the ones he let me in on.    It takes a village to raise a child these days. Both The Man Child and I extend a wealth of gratitude to you, The Painting a Dog a Day community, for helping to make his childhood what it was.   Thanks for supporting my artwork AND supporting my family, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com    

    "Ann and Annie," 16" x 16", portrait of two Raggedy Anne dolls, done in acrylics on a cradeled museum quality panel, intended for ArtPrize 2013. Continuing the doll paintings and conversations about their symbolic content. It would seem that Raggedy Anne is a safer face than the ones I've painted previously. Not that safe is better, mind you. And not that Raggedy Anne can't have a breakdown and come at you from behind either.... (hee hee!!)   All my ArtPrize doll portraits are here (along with the creepy vs sweet debates) on  the studio Facebook page.  I want to finish these two and another one this week.   And paint a couple dogs while I'm at it as well.   Meanwhile if you like the Ann's, you might also like  this one  I painted last week, which is now available in prints and notecards.   Thanks for following along with my artwork, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com  

    "Gus and Darlin," 9" x 12", commissioned double portrait of a Basset Hound and a Black Lab, done in acrylics on a museum quality panel, private collection (THANK YOU!!).   I'm happy to paint something special like these two goofballs just for you -  simply ask .   Lots of in-process photos are on  the studio Facebook page .   Including pics of my special studio visitor today.   Enjoy your weekend!   Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com  

"Ball?," 12" x 12", portrait of a youthful Nita, a golden retriever (reference photo to the left), done in acrylics on a museum quality panel, $599 to the first asking nicely. Which you can do  via email . SOLD This one was painted and shared online - lots of photos are on  the studio Facebook page . Which provides those of you with questions about my process the opportunity to jump in and ask. Including how you can take Nita home. Yes, I do payment plans. I take credit cards via Paypal. I ship all over the world. And there will be prints made of this painting once the original sells. And she's more spectacular in person than on the computer! Thanks for following along, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

    IN PROCESS:  "Ball?," 12" x 12", portrait of a youthful Nita, a golden retriever (reference photo below), done in acrylics on a museum quality panel, $599 to the first asking nicely. Which you can do  via email .   I will share photos of this painting as it unfolds on  the studio Facebook page  over the course of the afternoon.   Which provides those of you with questions about my process the opportunity to jump in and ask.   Extra special thanks to Lisa Husar, friend and most amazing photographer, for her undying generousity in sharing images for my painting pleasure. I have painted her dogs Nita and Bear more than I've painted my own. You can show Lisa some love by visiting her  website  or following her on  Facebook  - prepare to be wowed!   (And if you think your dog has muse potential,  email me pics for painting consideration, no strings attached! Photos must have...

    "A Kiss for Oklahoma," 6" x 6", still life painting of a Hershey Kiss, done in acrylics on museum quality panel, currently  at auction . 100% of the proceeds from this painting will be donated to the  Red Cross  for their rescue and support efforts during the aftermath of severe weather in Oklahoma.   It took me a while to figure out how to support the victims of the Oklahoma tornados. I tossed around the idea of a gift certificate or a doll painting. And then in a quiet moment in the candy aisle of the grocery it suddenly came to me.   A kiss.   I'm trying out the Daily Paintworks site this time around. I've been a member here for over a year and not taken advantage of all the various features they offer, one being their auctions.   Please take a minute and peek at the  100+ paintings being auctioned to benefit Oklahoma . Maybe there's something you just can't live without.    Au...

    "Tiny Anne II," 6" x 6", portrait of an old Raggedy Anne doll, done in acrylics on museum quality panel, not for sale.    There is the popular belief that we artists just sit back and the paintings just paint themselves, and I want to assure you that this isn't further from the truth!   Artists work hard, honing how they see the world, practicing with their tools, and throwing out a LOT of art in the process. You don't see it because you aren't in the studio with us, but trust me, it happens. And even when I'm not in the studio, I'm painting in my head. Always mixing colors and rearranging form.   Ok, but I digress - back to Anne.   I repainted her (and cursed profoundly while doing so) probably 6 times yesterday. I knew that my issue was separating color from value, and because my doll was mostly flat, I needed to be paying extra attention to the values NOT the colors. And I also had to be studying color...

    ABOVE: Detail of "Helper," 30" x 13", portrait of a Golden Retriever, done in acrylics on 1/2" birch hardwood, $899. I made revisions to this guy, including adding more drips and slimming his body down - lots of pics are  on FB , including Helper Finnigan and Helper daVinci -  email me for purchase details .    I realized AFTER THE FACT, that my easel settled into a deeper angle yesterday when I was working on the heavier birch panel. Which means I should have been paying attention to the distortion that happens when something is not perpendicular to the picture plane/my eyes. Poor Helper was all foreshortened, but I fixed him this morning. He's happier now. So am I.   I also got final approval on Mya and Ally's portraits, both pictured below. I can't wait to deliver these two!!     Enjoy your evening, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

    "Helper," 30" x 13", portrait of a Golden Retriever, done in acrylics on 1/2" birch hardwood, $899. I see some drawing corrections and a couple other tweaks to this one before I'm 110% happy with it. But he still needs a home for when I'm finished -  email me for purchase details .    This is quite the diversion, painting directly on wood, but it's something I've been thinking about doing for a long time. I still have some kinks to work out - like being patient enough to sand the clear gesso down prior to painting - but I'll get there.   I'm very fond of the combination of wood grain and painterly brushwork. And the  depth inside the snowy ground  is wonderful fun to lose oneself in.   Loads of in process pics on  Facebook .   Now who wants to add Helper to their collection?   I'm off to fire up the grill!! Thanks so much, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com  

  Wow! It's June, which means school's out (or nearly so), and is a ready excuse for daily popsicles and brightly colored toes in flip-flops. Enjoy it!!   To implement this month's desktop calendar, simply 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 by no means an expert on the variety of operating systems, so I highly recommend that if you don't know how to change your desktop wallpaper, don't email me for advice. Instead consult your computer's help files - they 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...

    IN PROCESS, "The Girls," at left is Mya and Ally is on the right, both 8" x 10", portraits of mixed breed young ladies (ladylike behavior is totally optional for Mya), done in acrylics on museum quality panel, private collection (THANK YOU!!).   In process pics, lots of them, are  on Facebook . I hope to finish both these paintings tonite, so don't forget to check back in to see their cute little faces!!   Years ago when a friend was diagnosed with breast cancer, our community took a collective deep breath and rallied with a fundraising event. I donated a gift certificate to the cause - which was won by her daughter! These paintings of her grand-dogs are the delightful result.   I'm happy to report she is healthy and loving life, two years post surgery and treatment.   Shall we go into the weekend with that visual? Let's all take a collective, victorious breath on her behalf, and for everyone else staring this ...