Paintings With Soul

I've been rather obsessively painting these girls, my Sirens, for 4 months now. Collectively, they line my studio walls, keeping me company, chatting away to each other. We have serious conversations about what color compassion is, how deeply would one's feet sink into clouds, and if it is wrong to consume an entire bag of Hostess chocolate donuts in one sitting. I would jump back and forth from painting to painting (there's over 40 of them now), making adjustments and revisions as I discovered, or rather, understood, what needed to be changed. And now it's time to share the first generation of Sirens with you. There's 17 in this round, each distinctively carrying their own message. More remain in my studio, inspiring new girls and continuing our daily chats. They are each pillars of strength, courage, compassion and dignity. Unapologetically feminine and fierce, they live inside us, some more loudly than others, enveloping our own insecurities with th...

"Alice," 24" x 48", acrylics on panel, $1499 plus s&h to the first asking nicely. Detail below. Inquiries may come   to me . (yes, I would be delighted to put together a payment plan for you - please ask!) I actually signed a painting today! Not that I haven't been painting, mind you, but only a small handful of my girls are truly finished. Even though I've been working on them since September..... Alice is an homage to Alice in Wonderland (one of my favorites!). I imagine this is what exiting the rabbit hole first looked like. And then the mist cleared......  

(2) in process Siren paintings, each 24" x 48", acrylics on panel Inquiries may come   to me . I'm figuring things out through all sorts of trial and error. My figures must be rooted in the atmosphere of their painting(s). Their movement and gesture are key. Color harmony is all the more elemental given the simplified compositions. Drawn line vs modeled form fascinates me (via the computer you cannot see the delicate drawings woven into the layers of paint). The vertical format highlights the power and strength of these figures. I absolutely love my job.

Tiny Dancer I, 24" x 48", acrylics on panel, $1499 plus s&h. Inquiries may come   to me . I have no idea what I'm doing in the studio anymore. I mean, I know I am painting, and obviously I'm painting figures, but other than that, it's a crap shot. I start with a certain idea in my head, like a little girl in a white tutu, and the rest of the composition reveals itself as I go along. This is entirely different than painting portraits and working directly with clients who expect a certain thing. When I'm painting a commission, the end result is predetermined and my progress (including knowing when the piece is done) is measurable. With my girls, it's not so obvious. I take them so far, and then wait to see what they have to say about it. Often it takes weeks before I realize, aha!, there isn't enough contrast/my color is too saturated/the ground and figure need to be more fully integrated/something else altogether. I'm learning to be ok ...

Davinci Study, 9" x 12", acrylics on panel, $399 plus s&h. Inquiries may come   to me . This is Vinnie taking advantage of the sunshine today. And who can blame him? It's natural for an artist's work to evolve, and I am no exception. The discoveries I have made the past few months have my head spinning. I credit much of what I've recently learned to several mentors/teachers I've had the pleasure of working with -   Lynn Whipple ,   Stanka Kordic and   Ardith Goodwin . They've introduced joy, passion, mystery, intuition and a deeper understanding of why I create. Other than holiday commissions, for the past 4 months I've been focused on figurative imagery, specifically using the feminine form as a platform for painting an emotional response to our crazy world. It's not always an easy space to sit inside as our world seems full of divisiveness and cruelty as of late. Yet it is something I feel deeply inside myself that I must do in ...

Finnigan, singing Auld Lang Syne. He was a bit off key. At 14, his hearing's not what it used to be. This is the first time EVER that I've taken a break between the holidays and mostly unplugged. I cannot tell you what a surprising gift that was - my head is clear and my energy levels are replenished, at least for the moment. And best of all are the memories of time spent with family and friends the past weeks. My wish for each of you is lots of the same - special times spent with special hearts. Each day is a gift - let's make the most of those we have left! In that vein, I invite you to take a peek at my   class and workshop schedule   - the next 6 months have been published on my website. Space is limited - my studio will hold a handful of students in an intimately delightful setting - so please   reach out   if you are interested. There's monthly art journaling groups, basic painting instruction, and a year long mentoring program. If nothing on the calendar m...

Kimberly Kelly Santini   paintings with soul because our world needs more beauty   "Scales," 20" x 30" x 1",( Santa hat is not in the original painting), acrylics on gallery stretched canvas with the image painted around the sides.   Email me  if you are interested. I'm not sure this one is finished - I need to sleep on it and see her with fresh eyes. She's one of 6 new girls that were born today. It was an incredibly productive day in the studio. And it was my last full day painting until after the holiday. May those of you who celebrate be surrounded with love and laughter. May those of you who don't celebrate also find yourselves in a cocoon of joy. That's where I will be, with family and friends, making memories and telling stories. Lots of love to you all!!   Share Tweet Forward

Kimberly Kelly Santini   paintings with soul because our world needs more beauty   "Royalty," 9" x 12", acrylics on museum quality panel, depicting a Maine Coone in all her glory. Special holiday pricing is $459 plus s&h (original price $519).   Email me . Additionally, all pet portrait gift certificates purchased through December 23rd of this year will be discounted 10%. Gift certificates allow the recipient to be a part of the portrait process, selecting photos and sharing stories of their four legged family members. Prices start at $399 -   reach out to me   for details.   Share Tweet Forward It's our last day of twelve. Over the past few weeks, I've offered special pricing on paintings that would make most excellent gifts (see links below). They are one-of-a-kind originals, and once they are gone, they are gone - so please, if you are interested in something, let ...

Kimberly Kelly Santini   paintings with soul because our world needs more beauty   "Study for Sleeping Beauty," 16" x 20", acrylics on museum quality panel. Who has a dancer in their lives? Special holiday pricing (through tomorrow December 15th) is $549 plus s&h (original price $599).   Email me .   Share Tweet Forward Only 12 day left of 12!! I've been sharing paintings that would make most excellent gifts (see links below). These pieces will carry special holiday pricing thru December 15th, 2017. They are one-of-a-kind originals, and once they are gone, they are gone - so please, if you are interested in something, let me know in the timeliest manner possible. The challenge with this one was how to paint music. Obviously, a dancer was part of that equation - but how do I personally visualize music, it's impact on the figure and the audien...

Kimberly Kelly Santini   paintings with soul because our world needs more beauty   "Horse Crazy," 18" x 24" x 1-1/2", acrylics and pastels on museum quality panel with image painted around the sides. No need to frame.. PERFECT for someone who's asked Santa to bring them a pony...... Special holiday pricing (through December 15th) is $299 plus s&h.   Email me .   Share Tweet Forward 2 days left of 12!! I'll be sharing some paintings that would make most excellent gifts. These pieces will carry special holiday pricing thru December 15th, 2017. They are one-of-a-kind originals, and once they are gone, they are gone - so please, if you are interested in something, let me know in the timeliest manner possible. It's been snowing all day here and I've been holed up at home, finishing holiday commissions and getting started on my own gifting. Plus planning a birthda...

"Mona Lisa's Garden," 10" x 20", acrylics on museum quality panel, depicting Mona Lisa, daVinci's sidekick. The piece was $399, but special holiday pricing (through December 15th) is $359 plus s&h.   Email me  if you would like to bring MoMo home, along with her slice of heaven.   Share Tweet Forward 3 days left of 12!! I'll be sharing some paintings that would make most excellent gifts. These pieces will carry special holiday pricing thru December 15th, 2017. They are one-of-a-kind originals, and once they are gone, they are gone - so please, if you are interested in something, let me know in the timeliest manner possible. Thank you to everyone who braved the first snow and some pretty cold weather to visit the studio. It was so wonderful to have you in my space and get to share my passion for creating. And special thanks to those of you who took a painting (or two or three...

"Nest II (daVinci)," 12" x 12" x 1-1/2", acrylics on museum quality panel with image painted around the side, depicting everyone's favorite studio kitty daVinci. The piece was $699, but special holiday pricing (through December 15th) is $449 plus s&h.   Email me  if you would like to bring daVinci (the painted, sleeping, well behaved daVinci) home. And be grateful you don't have to wrangle him for the next 9 days for twice daily antibiotics. I will be seriously scarred.   Share Tweet Forward 4 days left of 12!! I'll be sharing some paintings that would make most excellent gifts. These pieces will carry special holiday pricing thru December 15th, 2017. They are one-of-a-kind originals, and once they are gone, they are gone - so please, if you are interested in something, let me know in the timeliest manner possible. Additionally, if you are in southeastern lower Michigan, I'm h...