Skip to main content

Turtledove, masquerading as HARO Kitty


"HARO Kitty," 8" square, calico cat portrait, acrylic on canvasboard, $499 (exquisitely framed). Proceeds from the sale of this painting will be donated to the Oakland Pet Fund (http://www.oaklandpetfund.org/) in support of their low-cost feline spay and neutering program. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com .

Yes, this cat isn't really named HARO - it's the one and only Turtle. Those of you in the know probably recognized her off the bat. Turtle's latest portrait was done to meet a challenge set forth by Peter Shankman of HARO fame, a very decent guy owned by two kitties himself, and a huge supporter of Best Friends Animal Sanctuary (www.bestfriends.org).

HARO is Peter's newsgroup. HARO stands for Help A Reporter Out - it's a great tool for small businesses looking to get their name in print in a variety of markets. Journalists use HARO to request resources, and HARO newsgroup subscribers get the opportunity to respond to those topics which are the best fit. You can read more about HARO at http://www.helpareporter.com/ .

Last week, Peter challenged HARO readers to adopt a shelter cat. The Santini's aren't ready to adopt (although when the time comes, it WILL be a shelter cat), so I did the next best thing - I painted Turtle, who herself was a rescue, and pledged to donate to the shelter instead.

I could repeat Peter's challenge to adopt but that would be like preaching to the choir. The Dog-a-Day archives are packed with happily-ever-after stories. All I ask is that you keep 'em coming!
I'm currently scheduling portraits for November of 2009. Mention HARO at the time of your booking, and 10% of your sale will be earmarked for the Oakland Pet Fund.

Thanks, as always, for looking. And for sharing my paintings with your friends and family.
See you tomorrow!
Kim
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