Skip to main content


“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

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Dear Copyright Thieves

Dear Copyright Thieves,   Just because it's on the internet doesn't mean it's free for the taking. So let's just stop pretending the internet is a free-for-all.   Don't play the card that you didn't know - that's insulting. And don't also tell me that you meant to follow up and get permission but never got a chance to. That's insulting too. And by the way, don't you have a copyright protection notice on your own site?   And don't even try and point the finger at a third party who commissioned you to make a copy of my painting - again, an insult - you and I both know the difference between a reference photo and a painting.   And don't tell me that I asked for it because I share my artwork on the internet. I share my paintings and ideas and the stories behind them so as to encourage others to pursue  their own passions . I do not share so that those lacking integrity and morals can copy and market the images as their own...

Fisher Price Little People Puppy, Toy #10

"Little People Puppy (Toy #10)," 6" x 6," acrylics on masonite, starring a spunky little spaniel with jointed legs made by Fisher Price This painting is $75, with free shipping inside the US. Purchasing is as simple as  asking . I didn't play with this particular version of Little People toys, but I find them very sentimental never the less. They are well designed and charming. I tried to figure out what year Fisher Price made these particular jointed toys which I own (via ebay - I have circus characters too!), but got distracted learning about the history of Little People in general. They have seemingly been around for 50+ years! The Little People barn was a HUGE part of my childhood. The barn doors opened with a "mooooo," but in my head I heard welcoming nickers. Those horses and chickens were real. The brown and orange shag carpeting of my parent's family room became lush rolling pastures of green, and the Little People...

Golden Open Acrylics

I get all sorts of process oriented questions. Most recently I've been getting asked a lot about my paints and palette, which made me realize what a nice blog topic this would make! I use a Masterson Sta-Wet Premier palette box . This is comprised of a box (think Tupperware) with a sponge liner and a slice of palette paper that work together to keep my paints wet. This setup allows me to work with the same palette for about a full week, having the box open for multiple hours every day. You can see what the palette looks like at the beginning of a new session above - below the exact same palette after this week's work. For the last 25 years I have used Golden brand acrylics, mediums, and varnish. I love the overall quality of these paints and the fact that, when I have a question, their customer service department is made up of artists who actually use the products. Until last year, I used their Heavy Body paints exclusively. They have a buttery consistency, a little loose...