Cairn Kisses

Yesterday got out of hand rather quickly. We are dogsitting for my brother and Bailey got loose. I spent the afternoon tracking her quite literally over the river and through the woods, around and across the lake, until she finally surrendered. I have a mountain of friends and total strangers to thank - my neighbor who selflessly joined in the hunt (Karen, just name your price!), the recruits who phoned in sightings, and the kids and lab-mix who ultimately herded Bailey into exhaustion after almost 3-1/2 hours.

 

Bailey is the picture of perfect behavior today, but she will not set a foot outside this house without a leash on for the rest of her life. Finnigan also "donated" his collar, so that should she play Houdini again, she'll at least have a local number on her collar.

 

So that's why there was no painting yesterday - I didn't get into the studio at all. I can count on one hand the number of times this has happened, and I apologize.

 

It felt great to get in here today and jump back into the Cairn Terrier painting, although it was not without a battle. As all paintings do, this one went into the uglies. Deep into the uglies. I could not figure out how to bring it back. I ended up "faking" a newly bold ultramarine underpainting in the background area since I had lost the original violet under too many glazes of gray. By "faking" I mean that I just painted the whole background out with paint straight from the tube. While starkly contrasting, it gave the piece the kick it needed to climb out of the ugly stage.

On the top or to the left is the completed painting "Cairn Kisses," detail of same painting on the right, 12" square, acrylic on canvasboard, depicting four terriers, $599. Proceeds from the sale of this painting will be donated to Col. Potter Cairn Rescue, the national parent of Calliope Cairn Rescue. Inquiries may come to me.

I will also be releasing a limited edition of 25 giclees of "Cairn Kisses" benefitting the same rescue. A giclee is a computer generated image that has been color matched to the painting, and is printed in archival inks on artists paper with a generous blank margin. The giclee images will be approximately 10" wide and signed in pencil. 

 

In the giclee the painting image will be cropped, which gives it an exciting and dynamic energy that is fitting to these bright little dogs. The cropped image will be similar to the detail illustrated above.

 

Once these 25 have sold, there will be no more. Giclees will be $49 plus $13 shipping & handling within the United States. Giclee orders can come to me.

 

Tomorrow is another pARTy, this time to celebrate the Preakness Stakes. Details will be shared on the Virtual pARTy blog later today, with updates periodically posted throughout tomorrow. Acclaimed equine photographer Juliet Harrison has granted one-time usage of one of her racing photos to Linda Shantz and I, a gesture we are very grateful of.

 

And this time around I'll document my process and create a mini-art lesson.

 

Thanks, as always, for sharing my paintings.

Have a great evening,

Kim

ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com