Paintings With Soul

  "Red Bud,"11"x14", acrylic on panel, $600 plus s&h. This piece, along with some sister pieces (listed below) will be available this coming Saturday, TOMORROW, April 30th, at noon eastern   on my website . Please send any questions  my way  and thanks so much for your interest in my artwork. The trees are budding outside the studio windows and inside here on the easel. And it's time to let a few of them out into the world. So tomorrow at noon eastern, I will be offering the pieces listed below. They can be purchased via my website, inside my portfolio under "Available."  Here is a direct link to that page  - just remember that they will not show up until the scheduled time.  At noon eastern the paintings will show up with an "Add to Cart" button (interested buyers will click on the image of the painting they wish, and on the subsequent page choose the "Add to Cart" button). Once a collector completes the sale, the "Add to ...

  "Sapling," 16"x20", acrylic on panel, from the "Forest for the Trees" series. This piece, along with some sister pieces will be available in the very near future. Please send any questions  my way  and thanks so much for your interest in my artwork. I work intuitively, which means that I have no idea or plan as to how a piece will turn out. I just show up and follow my muse. It's often a game of cat and mouse - particularly when I think I know where we are headed. I am almost always wrong. I have learned to be quiet and patient. Usually that does the trick. There's also many, many layers of paint in these pieces. Those layers are often paintings or designs that could be considered finished works on their own accord. When I sit with them, they bloom with promise but also keep their secrets until I pick my brush up again and trust that things will work out. With Sapling, my muse first revealed the adult version of this tree. You can see her boughs ...

  "Whirligig," 24"x30", acrylic on panel, from the "Forest for the Trees" series. This piece, along with some sister pieces will be available in the very near future. However, if you simply cannot wait to make her yours because I love her so much and can totally relatem   let me know  and we will work something out. And thanks so much for your interest in my artwork. On Saturday I painted live with my online students, and it was such a wonderful session. They brought amazing questions to the table, and I was able to get a fantastic start on this piece. I continued to work on her the remainder of Saturday, but took yesterday off so that this morning I would have fresh eyes and be better equipped to evaluate things. After a lovely yoga practice (day 109 of consecutively hitting my mat - go me!!!) and writing my morning pages in the company of   my new kitchen mural,   I came down to the studio and rolled up my sleeves. I'd say it's been a good ...

  "Heartpine," 15"x30"x1-1/2", acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas, from the "Forest for the Trees" series. She carries   a yellow feather painted on the right side edge , a symbol of hope, which matches the yellow heart glow on the face of the canvas. She is $1500 plus s&h. This piece, along with some sister fox-trees, will be available in the near future. However, if you simply cannot wait to make her yours (and I completely get it!),  let me know . We will work something out. And thanks so much for your interest in my artwork.     (Pictured above, Sacred and Crabapple, shared with you earlier this week) I mentioned earlier that I have many of these "Forest for the Trees" pieces going on at the moment. They take deliberate, slow marks, with plenty of drying time in between. This is a little contrary to my usual pace, which is much like an excited toddlers "more, more, more!" yet I am enjoying the quieter process immensely. The ...

  "Crabapple," 16"x20", acrylic on panel, part of a new series I am considering calling "Forest for the Trees." Please  reach out   with any questions and thanks so much for your interest in my artwork. Continuing to step into the open door that   "Sacred,"   yesterday's painting opened, this is "Crabapple." There is something fascinating to me here - it's a tree, yes, but it's also a fox. It's both things simultaneously. As I work on these paintings (there's a mess of them coming to life in the studio), I shift the balance back and forth to allow one, then the other, to shine the brightest. It's a delightful game to play, walking this line between the dichotomy (is this the right word?) of the subject matter. How far can I push the tree as subject before the fox dissolves, and vice versa.  There is a calm serenity to these paintings, too, that I greatly need. I find I have retreated from much of the noise in the...

  "Sacred," 18"x24", acrylic on panel with a large helping of mystery and magic. Please  reach out   with any questions and thanks so much for your interest in my artwork. I have been in a deep painting groove for about 7 straight hours. This hasn't happened in a bit, but I can tell you that today has felt like a fantastic therapy session. And I'm just as excited to get back to things tomorrow after meeting with my private students (did you know I mentor via zoom?   shoot me an email   if this is something you are interested in). I consider this to be a breakthrough painting for me - and she's opened the gates to more thrilling and potent pieces. I'm having a great time figuring things out with this weaving of tree and animal spirits. On Saturday I'll be demoing my process, also online, with my Real Time students. The session will be recorded and streamable for those unable to make it. $25 will get you a virtual front row seat at my easel.   Lear...

  The first of my new Tree Spirits paintings will be available for purchase Tuesday, April 19th, at noon eastern via my website. Please  reach out   with any questions and thanks so much for your interest in my artwork. On April 19th at noon eastern, you will find the listing for the new tree paintings on my website, inside my portfolio under "Available."   Here is a direct link to that page   - just remember that the paintings won't show up as available until the scheduled time.     If you would like to see detailed images of the paintings prior to the sales' start, please use the links below: Reach for the Sky The Red Dress Petticoat Evergreen Bewitched Merlot  (no, she's not included in the image above, but she is part of the sale - click to see how special she is!) At the specified time, the paintings will be added to those on my  "Available Paintings" page , with an "Add to Cart" button (interested...

  From left, "Bewitched," and "Merlot," both 16"x20", acrylic mixed media on flat panel. These two, along with a handful of sister trees, will be available for purchase Tuesday, April 19th. In the meanwhile please  reach out   with any questions and thanks so much for your interest in my artwork. I am busy curating your choices for the studio sale on Tuesday, and having a great time partnering pieces together and discovering new things about them in the process.  I am working on providing a variety of sizes and price points so there will be something for everyone. How does the sale work? Pretty simply. On April 18th at noon eastern, you will find the listing for the new tree paintings on my website, inside my portfolio under "Available."   Here is a direct link to that page   - just remember that the paintings won't show up as available until the scheduled time. These two pictured will be accompanied by   Reach for the Sky , ...

  "Evergreen," 16"x20", acrylic mixed media on flat panel. This painting, along with a collection of sister trees, will be available for purchase next Tuesday, April 19th. In the meanwhile please   reach out   with any questions and thanks so much for your interest in my artwork. Did you see   the studio shot   I posted to FB earlier today? There are so many trees - I counted 15 paintings in this photo, and that is just one wall/end! They each spend a bit of time on my easel, then get set aside to dry before getting their next layer of marks. Also, if a tree (painting) falls in the forest (aka the basement studio) - because daVinci knocks it over while hunting invisible things - and nobody is around (meaning I am upstairs), I can definitively say that yes, one hears it and one is also scared half to death. Thanks for taking the time to look at my work, With peace, Kim

  "The Red Dress," 16"x20", acrylic mixed media on flat panel. This painting, along with a collection of sister trees, will be available for purchase next Tuesday, April 19th. In the meanwhile please   reach out   with any questions and thanks so much for your interest in my artwork. Last week I encountered a grove of bare trees cloaked in an aggressively growing ivy. I was fascinated by their variety of shapes - gangly, uncomfortable, hiding, some seeming to fight off the invasive ivy, others preening in their glorious capes. I took a few photos, but really, where I have found the most enjoyment (and inspiration) is in my memory of them. And that's what I painted from today.   Working from memory sets me free from the expectation of precise marks and allows a sort of reveling in the details that struck me most. I find the result much more satisfying than actually sitting in the woods and trying to capture their likeness - or essence - directly. It's also co...

  My New Moon journal page, one of three new streamable journaling sessions now available for free. Back in the day (meaning pre-pandemic) I ran a local journaling group. Our meetings were one of my favorite nights of the month. We all moved our hands (and hearts) together while working in our books. During the pandemic, when gathering in person and sharing art supplies became too risky, Ardith Goodwin and myself began the online   #journalthroughit project . For about 18 months we streamed - for free - journaling lessons designed to heal and guide journalers through the challenging days. Those lessons remain accessible (for as long as Facebook keeps them up!) via my   website . Now it's safer to gather, but many of my previous students remain at risk for various reasons. It's costlier, too, to hold in person classes, and with reduced attendance, well, it seems like it isn't quite the right time to revive my journaling group. However, I deeply miss the connectio...

  Kimberly Kelly Santini   artist, instructor, daydreamer "Reach for the Sky," 24"x30", acrylic on flat panel. This painting, along with a collection of sister trees, will be available for purchase at a future date. In the meanwhile please  reach out   with any questions and thanks so much for your interest in my artwork. It's been a wonderful few days. We skipped town for a little spring break that was packed with adventures of the best sort. I came back to the studio full of ideas and enthusiasm for new works - I feel like I can now see the forest for the trees!! If you are interested in learning the back story on how they came to my easel, along with the conceptual work I am doing as I explore this subject matter, tune in to the zoom session I'm having with my online students next week (Wednesday at noon eastern). I'll share my personal history with trees, some recent ah-ha moments, show how this work is rooted in my painting philosophy (The Creativ...

  Reach out   with any questions or   purchase directly off my website   and thanks so much for your interest in my artwork. I was going to offer Embrace today, being that I felt our world could use a hug. Then I decided to just go for gold, and added Red Pine (featuring a fox) and Elder (with an equine tucked into her trunk) to the offerings. It's a legit painting sale on April 1st. I kid you not. Direct links to purchase: Embrace Red Pine Elder Thank you so much for your warm support of my artwork. With peace and a bear hug (there's   a bear painting available   too!!), Kim

  "All Who Wander Are Not Lost," 36"x36"x1-1/2", acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas, image wrapped around the sides so no need to frame. Left hand side edge includes a tiny mushroom. $2400 plus s&h to the first asking nicely.  Reach out   with any questions or   purchase directly off my website   and thanks so much for your interest in my artwork. Take a walk into the heart of Bear. Bask in the sunlight, smell the sweetgrass, dip your toes in the spring fed water, and make an exquisite promise to yourself. This may be the last of the new Talisman paintings offered for a bit, as I'm a bit distracted with trees lately. Not sure when I'll be climbing out of them. Just saying...... Thanks for taking the time to look at my work, With peace, Kim

  "Pride," 24"x48", acrylic on flat panel. This painting may be offered at a future date with a collection of similar pieces.  Reach out   with any questions and thanks so much for your interest in my artwork. I have become an arborist, in paint at least. In the last week, at least 10 of these trees paintings have sprouted and come to life. I am giving them space to evolve and trying to stay out of the way.  These trees have rich, complicated lives. They have been shaped by their circumstances, and are unapologetic about where they stand. They assiduously record our histories while bridging the ground we are collectively rooted in with the heavens, our symbol for eternal life. I feel, too, as though they are emblematic of what we do to each other and our world. They bear witness. Stay tuned - in the coming week or so I will put together a slideshow of the tree paintings to date. I think you will enjoy seeing them collectively. Thanks for...

  "Elder," 15"x30", acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas, with the image painted around the sides, so no need to frame. This painting may be offered at a future date with a small collection of similar pieces.  Reach out   with any questions and thanks so much for your interest in my artwork. I have always been enamored with sky holes. You know, the little peeks of light that break into a tree's shape? Well after the last few paintings where I totally and completely lost myself in the making of the trees, I began to wonder if my love for sky holes was actually a love for the trees, the shapes that embraced and made the sky holes. The tree has to convincingly play supporting actor in order for those sky holes to shine. Thanks for taking the time to look at my work, With peace, Kim

  "Red Pine," 24"x30", acrylic on panel. This painting may be offered at a future date with a small collection of similar pieces.  Reach out   with any questions and thanks so much for your interest in my artwork. Red Pine. She's packed with magic. Can I attribute it to the moon water I drank this morning before my painting session? or is it a product of visualizing the tree circle (of pines) in my back yard when I came to the easel? or did she show up because I have been doing so (showing up at my easel) for the last 20+ years? it doesn't matter the how, because she's here now, and I'm in awe. There are spirits and energies all around us, if we dare to pay attention. Here's a little   video short   about how she came about. Thanks for taking the time to look at my work, With peace, Kim

  "Promise," 18"x24"x1", acrylic on cradled birch. This painting may be offered at a future date with a small collection of similar pieces.  Reach out   with any questions and thanks so much for your interest in my artwork. I've worked on 5 different paintings today, all in various states, but I do believe this one is finished. However, I cannot decide on her orientation, although I am leaning towards this onw. Once I figure that out, I'll sign her. Meanwhile, I will take her to my Thursday critique group tomorrow for deeper discussion. She already was helped along by my quarterly group which met on Tuesday.  Do you ever lean on others for discussion and decision making in your work? It truly is invaluable. There's nothing more informative than hearing how others read the art you make - it's like getting a peek at what a gallery viewer, juror or internet viewer may see. And knowing this helps you to tweak/improve your imagery so that it more cle...

  NEW PAINTING Molytva (Ukranian for "Prayer") "Molytva (Ukranian for "Prayer")," 18"x24"x1", acrylic on cradled birch, with a sprouted sunflower seed painted on the right side edge. This painting may be offered at a future date with a small collection of similar pieces.   Reach out   with any questions and thanks so much for your interest in my artwork. This painting's process was very humbling. It surprises me every time, that when I am reverent at my easel, the profoundest sort of alchemy happens.   It's been a dark few weeks in our world, and I know many artists have been painting sunflowers for Ukraine. I just couldn't go there - I wanted to, but felt like it was akin to wearing a costume. So I found a way to create something meaningful that fit with my own visual language. I did add a sunflower in the form of a sprouted seed on the side of the panel, with a corner of her leaf wrapped to the front side. It is the only green ...

  Kimberly Kelly Santini   artist, instructor, daydreamer L-R, from top:  North Star, detail ofNorthern Lights, Spruce, Winterberry, detail of Snowglobe and detail of Bare. Original artwork from The Talisman series by Kimberly Kelly Santini I was overwhelmed with gratitude during the recent studio sale when every single one of my new paintings found new homes, along with private sales of several other works. Your enthusiastic support of my art allows me to continue to conjure up new pieces and live my dream of being a working artist. Thank you so much for that. Meanwhile, if you weren't able to grab an original piece, perhaps a print, cell phone case, tote bag or other item might suffice. You can check out all of the offerings   here . I've just uploaded a number of new works to my site. All of the bear paintings (and Snowglobe!) can be found in The Talisman gallery. I'm off to walk the dogs in the sunshine before returning back to the easel. It's...