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“Shihtzu Study (Casey),” 5x7, commissioned shihtzu pet portrait in acrylic on canvasboard, private collection (thank you!).

Casey is a sweet little guy who passed away late last year. This painting is a gift to Casey’s “dad,” currently fighting his own battle with cancer. My wish is that it bring comfort to this family, and maybe spark a few grins and good tales as they gather to remember times shared.

I will be painting tomorrow’s dog-a-day at the Community Arts Building of the Michigan State Fairgrounds starting around 11-11:30. I’m bringing along enough boards to do a handful of paintings if time allows (I’ll stay till about 1:30 or 2, and then head over to the barns for a photo session before taking on rush hour traffic) – I would love for you to stop by and visit if you find yourself in the area.

And some exciting news – my work was juried into the 47th annual Thumb Area Artists’ Exhibition! This is especially meaningful because my two entries were dog-a-day paintings from much earlier in the project. You may recall my “Bulldog Study,” part of the prestigious (also juried) Art Show at the Dog Show this last winter (see the dog-a-day posting for December 28, 2006). The other piece on display is a sentimental favorite, one from my personal collection, depicting my black cat in a very peaceful (aka senile) moment (again, please see the dog-a-day posting from February 11, 2007). The show is hung at the Starkweather Gallery in Romeo Michigan, and will stay up until September 15th. The opening will be Thursday (this Thursday) evening from 6-8pm. Please call the gallery for additional information – 586-752-5700.

I also wanted to mention that in September I’ll be focusing on Oakland County Animal Control (OCAC) for Shelter & Rescue Week. Because of the Labor Day holiday and not wanting to jip them out of a day, I’ll start Shelter & Rescue Week on the10th. This means that if you have an animal adopted from their shelter and you commission a dog-a-day portrait of them during the month of September, I’ll donate 20% back to OCAC. It also means that 20% of the sales from each of the paintings completed during September 10th-14th will also be returned to the shelter.

Thanks as always for looking.
And for coming along for the ride – I love that you are enjoying the dog-a-days so much so that you are forwarding them around.
And a special THANK YOU to all my clients who are sharing their paintings and handing out referrals – that is the highest compliment I could hope for.
Every day I get at least a dozen inquiries – please be patient with me as I work through them and try to stay on top of everything else. I promise to give each and every one of you the same care and attention as the person next in line.
Can’t wait to give you an update on tomorrow’s work!
Kim

Kimberly Kelly Santini
http://www.turtledovedesigns.com/
distinctive pet portraits
& 4-legged paintings

http://www.paintingadogaday.com/
come. sit. stay.
enjoy the art.

Founding member of the Canine Art Guild
http://www.canineartguild.com/
the gateway to canine art on the web

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