Paintings With Soul

Contour Study 5, 12" x 16", mixed media on artboard, $250 plus s&h to   the first asking nicely.   I accept paypal, venmo, personal checks and payment plans. Yup, there's five of these, not all sent out newsletter style. All are mixed media, with bits of collage, drawn elements, and acrylic paints, all done in response to world events. I'm building a vocabulary of color and gesture, and it's rather healing to be able to "scream" into the compositions. Contour Study 1 Contour Study 2 Contour Study 3 Contour Study 4 . Perhaps next week I will pull out the big canvases and start a couple of these in a larger scale. After I finish two commissions. And take down the show at   Art of Custom Framing.  And get my eyes dilated. Thanks, as always, for following along with my art journey, Warmly, Kim

Contour Study 3, 12" x 16", mixed media on artboard, $250 plus s&h to   the first asking nicely.   I accept paypal, venmo, personal checks and payment plans. I've been bouncing back and forth today between a number of these studies. Some come together quickly, and others need to simmer. I am learning quite a bit, in this process, and get more and more excited to try some of these ideas and processes out on a canvas. I have 10 of these artboard studies to complete, and then I'm going to go BIG. Thanks, as always, for following along with my art journey, Warmly, Kim

Contour Study 1, 12" x 16", mixed media on artboard, $250 plus s&h to   the first asking nicely.   I accept paypal, venmo, personal checks and payment plans. The last couple paintings I've begun started with a clear idea, but along the way, I realized I didn't have the toolbox to properly and clearly express that idea. So what to do? Well, for one, I go to my journal and start writing. Make lists. Visualize bits. Break down the end result into smaller pieces and identify the things I need to learn. Look for artists who are onto something similar, and deconstruct their process. Talk to friends. Give myself permission to fail. And to have fun. And I start by making less imposing pieces. Like this one. This piece isn't the sort of end result I am seeking - but it taught me quite a bit about how to achieve said end result. And I'll be applying those lessons to another study, and hopefully that will teach me a bit as well.  Lather, rinse,...

Kimberly Kelly Santini   paintings with soul because our world needs more beauty   "Empathy," acrylic on oval gallery wrapped canvas, 16" x 20", $699 plus s&h to   the first asking nicely . I accept paypal, venmo, personal checks and welcome payment plans. Studio Newsletter, May 2019 Spring is FINALLY in Michigan, at least for the moment. I am delighting in the fresh greens and birth of color outside my windows. My heart feels lighter when color lives beyond the studio. Here's a recap of studio happenings since the February newsletter (these are supposed to be monthly, but you'll see why I'm asking forgiveness!): In March, I hung a   solo show at Stones Throw Theater   in Lapeer, Michigan, featuring over 20 siren paintings. Thank you to all who were able to visit and share their support. Special thanks to Tony for facilitating this, and in particular, being such an advocate for the arts. I look forward to working ...

In Process Detail, currently untitled, featuring a miniature horse and a handful of hyacinths. Entire painting is 24" x 36" (pictured section is approximately 24" of the 36" width) and, when finished, will be $1599 plus s&h to the first asking kindly. Inquiries may always come   to me.  I accept paypal, venmo, personal checks and payment plans. I am seeking to become less literal and more emotive with form. I've been doing this with color and brushwork for the last couple years, and now I want to do so compositionally. It's so freaking hard, to shift from painting an actual object to painting the spiritual essence of that object. I've been at the easel for 9 hours today, and I am far more exhausted than I'd be had I just been painting this pony's likeness directly. But every minute was worth it - I'm learning SO much. And this painting will be a stunner! Thanks, as always, for following along with my art journey, Warmly, Kim ...

"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

"The Rebirth of Wonder," 16" x 20", acrylic on gallery stretched canvas, $649 plus s&h to the first asking kindly. Inquiries may always come   to me.  I accept paypal, venmo, personal checks and payment plans. What is it about youth that is so full of wonderment? and how do we sustain this sort of wonder long-term?  I watched   Brene Brown's Call to Courage   last night. I've read all of her books and find her studies (shame, vulnerability and courage) fascinating. This special was entertaining and enlightening, and I thought it was also serendipitous that it came across my radar randomly the same evening I was pondering the final direction of this painting. Thanks, as always, for following along with my art journey, Warmly, Kim

In the studio with Kimberly Santini, the official artist of the 2015 Kentucky Derby In the summer of 2014, I received a phone call inviting me to be the official artist of the 2015 Kentucky Derby. I thought it was a prank call. Seriously, I did. But we sorted things out, and I stayed professional during the entire conversation. After we disconnected, I screamed with joy, and the kids and I had a good couple laps outside the house. And then, they had to be sworn to secrecy, because no one in the universe was supposed to know until the formal announcement in November. That was a LOOOOOOOONNNNG 5 months. Then, everything after that, was a whirlwind. I painted all summer in secret and shipped the piece off to Louisville in October. At that time, The Caped Crusader was taking a sports marketing class, and I asked if he would come with me to the reveal at Churchill Downs. We set off, just the two of us, on an early morning flight. Starting at the airport gate,   I began postin...

"Colliding Worlds," 16" x 20", acrylic on gallery stretched canvas, $649 plus s&h to the first asking kindly. Inquiries may always come   to me.  I accept paypal, venmo, personal checks and payment plans. Day Three of Kentucky Derby week. Four years ago today, I was fulfilling my duties as the Official Artist of The Kentucky Derby, sitting in a box at the finish line at Churchill Downs, watching the running of The Kentucky Oaks. And today I'm working in my jammies from home - but I am wearing a hat! a baseball cap adorned with roses! Sigh. Good times. "Colliding Worlds" is another paint over, although the entirety of the previous painting (a Firefly one) is completely buried. That sometimes happens. And I guess it also plays into the painting's concept - expectations vs reality - nicely, too. Now to figure out what I'll paint tomorrow. I'm all out of these little 16x20 canvases, and I feel like I get a head start when they alr...

Detail and full view of "The Edge of the World," 24" x 30", acrylic on panel, $899 plus s&h to the first asking kindly. This painting is currently hanging in the show "Muses, Myths and Magic" at   The Art of Custom Framing  through May 24th, 2019. Reach out to   Diana   if you are interested in purchasing. It's day 2 of Kentucky Derby Week, and I'm sharing a painting I thought was unfinished. I didn't know what else it needed, so tucked it away in a stack of other such pieces. But when I came across her a few weeks ago, I saw that she was done. And glorious in her detail. This is a paint-over - there is a portrait of The Princess underneath, and while her face has been entirely covered, much of the marks around the perimeter of the panel remain or peek through the new layer of paint. I love this sort of effect. I call it ghosting. Thanks, as always, for following along with my art journey, Warmly, Kim

From the archives, this is "Big, Bigger, Biggest," a 10" x 12" painting that now sits in a private collection (thank you very much!). One of my favorite things to teach is the complexity of whites and blacks. Neither are straight up, and when a student processes this for the first time, it gives me goosebumps. The simple exercise of studying a black and white object in different environments is a great beginning. Half of being an artist is about learning to see beyond preconceived notions. The next time you look at a sky, count the variety of blues there. And really look at those clouds - how many different colors do they hold? do YOU have goosebumps now? The last 30 days has been fun, wandering about in my archives and revisiting stories. Thanks for following along with me - I'll make a point to share older pieces more regularly. Fondly, Kim  

"Surviving," 20" x 16" x 1/2", acrylic on gallery wrap canvas (image painted around the sides so no need to frame), $649 plus s&h to the first asking kindly. I accept paypal/venmo/personal checks and welcome payment plans.   Please reach out   and let me know how we can get you "Surviving." It's Kentucky Derby Week, which means I will be sharing equine paintings in the days leading up to Saturday.  This is a new piece fresh from the easel. I titled it "Surviving" after   Kaz Hawkin's poignant song of the same title. While the song is about her own story of domestic abuse, it's a swansong for anyone seeking change, and I know there's many of us doing so these days.   Listen to the song and know that you can survive, too . Thanks, as always, for following along with my art journey, Warmly, Kim

Above are just a few of my kids' art pieces. The Man Child's "Still Life With Flying Dog" is in the back, The Princess's "Finnigan Says Good Morning to the Sun," and The Caped Crusader's "Finningan" rattle (made of fired clay). For those new to my art journey, I have worked as an artist the past 18 years, from a studio in the hearf of our home, all the while raising my kids. Oftentimes, as any parent can tell you, there was no separation between the two responsibilities. When I had a pressing deadline, the kids would often be alongside me on easels or working in sketchbooks at my feet. Some days even, The Princess was in charge of creating the daily painting because I had another pressing task, or the boys would make dinner so that I could get another hour in the studio. They all know how to varnish a painting and are skilled at building boxes and shipping preparations. And I think they each also are very gifted creative...

Originally this painting above, Snow Much Fun, was to be the last one shared this month. However, I couldn't resist moving it up a couple days, given the weather forecast for today. Nobody wants to see snow - the real stuff - at the very end of April. This painting had me grinning ear to ear the whole time I worked on it. It stars none other than Nita, whom I've painted before many times, and was inspired by a series of photos   Lisa (Team Husar Photography)   texted me one wintry afternoon. It's a 36" wide piece and has quite the presence. There's no mistaking the sheer joy this dog has for chasing snowballs. If you want snow for yourself at the end of April - or any time of the year - you can order a print (or other object) of Snow Much Fun   here . Thanks as always for following along with my art journey, Fondly, Kim  

This is my meditation corner, and the artwork rotates depending upon what energy I'm trying to channel. This little painting is a 4" x 6" portrait of my first dog, Beau. As anyone who grew up with a dog knows, they walk at our sides far longer than their mere lifespan. And Beau is no exception. When I'm feeling particularly uncertain, his nose is right there at my knee, and I can feel the warm curve of his head on my palm. This painting was done 15 years after he passed, from a cloudy instamatic photo I had carried in my wallet. A photo which I still have. Hard to believe that it'll be 28 years this June.  Thanks as always for following along with my art journey, Fondly, Kim  

This is a pile of a few of my journals. From the top-down, a handmade book (class taught by   Fonda Clark Haight ), a   Ranger journal   (yellow and orange), a handmade hardbound book (class with   Ingrid Djikers , with button embellished page), an altered book (pink and red pages), an altered children's book (with the stencilled design), a handmade book by   Mary Sanders Lazenby (with the wolf spread), a second Ranger journal (b&w page in lower corner). In 2009 I had already been teaching art journaling, a combination of visual marks and text, to elementary aged students for a couple years. Their enthusiasm to explore mixed media pushed me to seek other examples, and that was how I discovered   Dawn Sokol's book 1000 Artist Journal Pages. The title (which I've loaned to someone, so sadly cannot include photos) includes full color reproductions of 1000 pages from various artists' journals. It is a fabulous introduction to t...

Over the years, I've been really blessed to have my work featured in a number of print publications. The above are just a few of the places you might have seen a painting of mine in a feature article or gracing the cover. "August," the image on the front of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, was a Painting a Dog a Day piece from 2012. I started - and finished - this painting in one long marathon day at the easel. It was perfectly suited for the cover of JAVMA. "August" was also accepted into (and sold at) the prestigious juried exhibition, "The Art Show at the Dog Show." This event is now, sadly, defunct, but in it's heyday, the show included only the best pieces from the best canine artists worldwide. It was highly competitive to get a piece juried in, and just as highly contested to receive an award. I was lucky to do both multiple times. Thanks for following along with me, Warmly, Kim

Above is a little video short made while drinking my tea this morning. Sal was perched on the couch arm, and couldn't figure out if he wanted to watch me, what was going on outside, or take a nap. I quietly waited until he made a decision, then quickly began finding my edges. The whole thing took about 5 minutes (with my ipad, ipencil and procreate). Painting is 1000xs harder if you don't know how to draw. So many decisions made at the easel involve drawing - whether it be with a brush, a piece of chalk or in our heads. In order to create believable form, one has to have a solid understanding of their subject matter. And drawing - from life, every chance I get - is the best way I know to learn. Technology makes this a bit easier with a variety of apps, touch screens and tools. Or one can choose to practice the old fashioned way, with pencil and paper. It doesn't matter the approach - both ways will teach eye hand coordination and practice ...

Martha's portrait is overall the most visited and most ordered of my entire   FineArtAmerica storefront .** And that says a lot - Since 2010, I have had over 300 images uploaded (more have rotated through over the years, so that total count is probably double that!), and over 434,000 visitors. And Martha came along a year into those stats, yet she is still owning the leader board. Why do you suppose that is? It's gotta be more than just girl power...... **If you don't know,   FineArtAmerica   is the online vendor I use for prints, reproductions and other objects featuring my artwork. I upload images after the original has sold. Prices start around $5, and there's some truly fun products like cell phone cases, wall tapestries and tote bags. Thanks for following along with me, Warmly, Kim

This is Simon, from 2011, my favorite of several portraits I've been lucky enough to create. His family's super power is that they can't resist a beagle in need. Let me tell you about them. In the early days of Painting a Dog a Day, I set aside one week each month to feature my paintings of homeless animals and tell their stories, with proceeds going back to the host shelters/groups. I don't recall the timeframe, even, but I had painted a doe eyed beagle from my local shelter. This collector from out of state emailed and asked to purchase the painting. And then she went above and beyond, contacted the shelter arranged to sponsor the dog until he found a home. I have so many angels like this in my life. Real, tender, generous hearts, all around me. One thing the Painting a Dog a Day project did was highlight those souls - I always felt surrounded by love. Thanks for following along with me, Warmly, Kim