Skip to main content


"Luna," 8" x 10", black lab service dog puppy portrait. Like the remainder of the paintings from this week, the proceeds from Luna's painting will be donated to Paws With a Cause (http://www.pawswithacause.org/). Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com .

Luna went off to school, but things didn't work out. She's returned to her foster puppy family, where they are further assessing her skill set and capabilities. Then Luna will be set up with specific training to allow her to accomplish that. In the past, PAWS puppies who cannot live their lives as full-time service dogs have enjoyed a diverse range of jobs: acting as a demo dog for school-visits and other demonstrations, filling in as a "loaner" in instances where the primary service dog has become ill or is unable to work, even completing intensive task specific training such as search and rescue.

I have no doubt that Luna's future will be bright - you can see it burning in her eyes.

If you have interest in purchasing a giclee of Luna, drop me a line (ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com). Giclees would be approximately 5" x 6-1/2" and cost $30 plus $7 shipping and handling and applicable Michigan sales tax. $5 from each purchase will be earmarked for Paws With a Cause. If I get at least 5 orders I'll go ahead and issue prints.

Meanwhile, I'd like to share something I read this morning written by Robert Genn, an artist who shares inspirational ideas several times a week through his newsletter (http://www.painterskeys.com/). (I am reprinting this with his permission). What he has written is pretty much my mantra, the state of mind I hope to slide into as I work up a new painting.
"Feel and relish the environment.
Get into a "be here now" state of mind.
Start your work anywhere.
Look cleanly and with an uncluttered mind.
Be joyous and unencumbered in your stroke.
Work everywhere at once when you can.
Try to leave your strokes alone.
Do not labour or think too much.
Don't sweat the small stuff.
Let the painting tell you what it needs.
Though it may be small, make your picture big.
Without being a wimp, serve your subject.
Don't verbalize your sight--sense the being.
Surrender to earth's beauty and wisdom.
If you make errors, fix them in good humour.
Be suspicious of what you've been told, how you ought to do things, and what you ought to think."
His words are a timely reflection on what it means to be creative, no matter what your language or media. They can also be applied to life in general. (Although I'm not certain I can surrender entirely to any more snow - I'm done with it!!).

Thanks, as always, for looking. And for sharing these paintings with your friends and family.
See you tomorrow,
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
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

“Katie’s Moustache,” 6x12, pet portrait in acrylic on canvasboard, $90. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . One glimpse of Katie’s face, and I was hooked. Not only did she fall into my beloved “black & white” category, but she came with a full moustache and doe-like eyes. I first covered the canvas with a variety of blues and purples, using a (mixed) light green and pink for the highlights. (Right now my palette has been expanded to include the following: pthalo blue red, azurite hue, cad red dark, alizarine crimson, cad yellow dark, and then for graying/hazing out I use light green yellow and ultramarine purple.) I lighten with titanium white and darken with one of the blues and a touch of one of the reds. As a side note, at this time last year I was really struggling with my limited palette (I went from about 60 pots of paint to 3), but I have lived the benefits – I am so much more familiar with what I can mix given just this handful of colors. My paintings are also m...
Post a Comment
Read more

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...
33 comments
Read more

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...
11 comments
Read more