Paintings With Soul

"Black on Black," 6" x 8", portrait of a long haired tuxedo kitty, acrylic on board, not yet available for purchase. Inquiries (including booking your own pet portrait, from miniature size [4" x 4"] to larger than life) may always come to me . This is the same kitty as yesterday's "Sydney in Pink," however this painting has an entirely different feel. Here I was interested in the masses of color - her bib sandwiched between the inky dark of her body, framed by the equally dark flooring. And despite the limited local colors, there is quite a bit of color tucked into this little painting. It is one of my all time favorites. "Black on Black" is headed to my summer solo show focused on rescued animals. Sydney will be accompanied by paintings of approximately two dozen other pets, each of whom are living their "Happily Ever Afters." The artwork will be complimented with text that highlights the capacity these animals have to

"Sydney in Pink," 8" square, acrylic on board commissioned pet portrait of a long haired tuxedo kitty, private collection (THANK YOU!). Inquiries (including booking your own pet portrait, from miniature size [4" x 4"] to larger than life) may always come to me . Sydney and five littermates were unceremoniously dumped in a cardboard box on the steps of a vet clinic. They all found homes, thankfully. And Sydney couldn't be loved any more than she is. Yesterday you may have noticed there was no daily post. This is because I wasn't in the studio - instead, I moonlighted as an elementary school art teacher. My stint as visiting artist concluded with a day of hands-on creation building collaged pet portraits. You can see more of what we did (myself, the regular teacher, and almost 100 4th graders) on the studio's facebook page . The best part of the project, at least for me, is still to come. We've arranged for the portraits to be hung at our local

"Clio," 6" square, acrylic on board, commissioned pet portrait of a Pit Bull, private collection (THANK YOU!). Inquiries (including booking your own pet portrait, from miniature size [4" x 4"] to larger than life) may always come to me . Clio is a sweetheart, enjoying life with the vivacity and energy of a teen. This is in spite of the fact that she was diagnosed with mast cell cancer in Oct 2007. Her lumps were removed, but she wasn't expected to live beyond Feb 2008. That just goes to show you what a positive attitude and healthy outlook means to quality of life. Clio's Mom says she is blessed to have Clio teach her how to Be. Thanks, as always, for looking at - and sharing - my artwork with your friends and family. Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com www.paintingadogaday.com SHOP ORIGINALS & LIMITED EDITION GICLEES: at my Etsy shop ORDER CUSTOMIZED NOTECARDS & REPRODUCTIONS: at Imagekind COMMISSION A PET PORTRAIT: contact me GIFT CERTIFICA

"Koda's Curls," 8" x 10", portrait of two Curly Horses in the snow, acrylic on board, available for purchase to the first one asking nicely, $449. Inquiries (including booking your own pet portrait, from miniature size [4" x 4"] to larger than life) may always come to me . Today's snow day wasn't much of a surprise - we got 9+ inches dumped on us, with at least another inch coming during the night, so it's most likely tomorrow will be a repeat performance. Although it's a challenge carving work time out amongst a herd of kids during the daylight hours, it's also a bit of a breather because after school and evening activities get put on hold. Gotta look at the pros and the cons, right? I led a dozen amazingly talented kids in a Creative Journalling class this past weekend - you can see photos on the studio's facebook page (and while you're there, sign up to be a fan!). There's another class this coming Saturday, so if

"Monsters," mixed media including tissue paper, foil and markers, approximately 12" x 6", a double page spread from my personal journal, not for sale. I wish you could see the Striped Amoeba's belly button under her fringed flapper dress. And the Bunny Monster's layered tissue paper ears. The text at the bottom of the page reads "I'm not afraid of monsters.... but spiders scare me" (true story). This is my demo for tomorrow's Creative Journalling class at Little Monsters Toy Store in Lake Orion. I'll be leading a group of about a dozen 6-14 year olds, building some fun collages and (hopefully) inspiring them to explore their own creative voices within the safety (and exhuberant color) of their own journals. I had so much fun with this one - I'm sure it's fairly obvious. At one point it looked as though a bomb had gone off in the studio - tissue papers, markers, gel pens, homemade stencils and potato chips (the chips were an ac

Every 4 to 8 weeks, Linda Shantz and I host an equine themed Virtual pARTy . A pARTy is where a group of artists work from the same reference photo, creating their work within a 24 hour period. The resulting artwork is posted on the pARTy blog, so that everyone can linger over the incredible variety and individual styles inspired by the same photograph. (psst! If you are interested in playing along with the February pARTy, you have until this Saturday at midnite EST to complete and submit your entry - details here ). So, without further ado, here's my entry for this month's pARTy: "Up Close (Percy)," 6" x 8", portrait of a Curly Horse, acrylic on board, $329 to the first one asking nicely. Inquiries (including booking your own pet portrait, from miniature size [4" x 4"] to larger than life) may always come to me . I visited Percy and his herd of Curly Horses at my friend's last weekend, and loved every minute. These horses were huge teddy

FROM TOP: "Indie," 5" x 7" and "Kosmo," 6" square. Both pet portrait commissions, acrylic on canvasboard, private collection (THANK YOU!). Inquiries (including booking your own pet portrait, from miniature size [4" x 4"] to larger than life) may always come to me . This morning I gave a presentation to the 4th graders at Stadium Drive Elementary about being an artist. Over the next week, we'll be building collaged pet portraits. We spent some time this morning looking at paintings and identifying the types of things that elevate a mere likeness into a relationship. We talked about building story details through color, pattern and text. I am so excited to see the resulting artwork! Then I came into the studio and chose these little faces for today's paintings. The energy of their curls and their bright eyes were a solid match to the inspiration and enthusiasm that I brought home with me. Tomorrow I will paint my entry for this mon

My Ball!," 8" s 10", commissioned double Boston Terrier portrait, done in acrylic on canvasboard, private collection (THANK YOU!). Inquiries (including booking your own pet portrait, from miniature size [4" x 4"] to larger than life) may always come to me . Who can't relate to the rivalry in this painting? The adrenaline rush of prancing across the yard with the bounty? This painting seemed especially apropos in these first few days of the Winter Olympics - not quite the grace of figure skating, but just as much zest. Thanks, as always, for looking at - and sharing - my artwork with your friends and family. Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com www.paintingadogaday.com SHOP ORIGINALS & LIMITED EDITION GICLEES: at my Etsy shop ORDER CUSTOMIZED NOTECARDS & REPRODUCTIONS: at Imagekind COMMISSION A PET PORTRAIT: contact me GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE: contact me READING MATERIAL: Preview and order each of the Dog a Day books at the publisher's websi

"Sprinkler," 6" x 8", pet portrait of a mixed breed dog (spaniel-lab-daschund), acrylic on Raymar panel, not for sale. Inquiries (including booking your own pet portrait, from miniature size [4" x 4"] to larger than life) may always come to me . Isn't Manny (aka Baron Manfred von Richtoffen) The Cutest Thing Ever? Our paths crossed last month when I asked for rescued muses to feature in this summer's coming solo show.*** Manny's Dad sent a mess of great photos sharing the rich life he now leads - after two other family's rejected him, leaving the little guy at the shelter. About the same time I was getting to know Manny, I got an invitation to participate in a landscape show. Regular Dog a Day readers know that I don't paint a mess of landscapes, so while I wanted to send something, it would involve creating a painting specifically for that exhibition. So here it is, my entry for the landscape exhibition. What's next? I get the p

"Black Lab (Bandit)," 4" x 6", commissioned Labrador Retriever portrait, acrylic on canvasboard, private collection (THANK YOU!). Inquiries (including booking your own pet portrait, from miniature size [4" x 4"] to larger than life) may always come to me . Bandit joined his family shortly after they had lost another dog. His mom says "Bandit's eyes reflect his soul and I truly believe he is a gift from God that we were meant to have in our lives." He joined a chocolate and yellow lab, making the multi-cultural family complete. Bandit had a health scare several years ago, followed by a long recovery, which brought the family closer. Bandit's story makes my job that much harder - how do I paint a dog who anchors everyone together? Well, I started with honest eyes, and built it out from there. Thanks, as always, for looking at - and sharing - my artwork with your friends and family. Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com www.paintingadogaday.c

"Iris II," 8" square, acrylic on canvasboard, commissioned pet portrait of a rescued Himalayan, private collection (well, I'm thinking that my client may take this one, but I am not entirely certain). Inquiries (including booking your own pet portrait, from miniature size [4" x 4"] to larger than life) may always come to me . I painted another version of Iris on Monday night (which I have since reworked and will be posting an updated version of to the blog later). This one is an entirely different mood, and I think it will go better with a previous painting done of Iris's brother Mickey . We'll see..... Thanks, as always, for looking at - and sharing - my artwork with your friends and family. Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com www.paintingadogaday.com SHOP ORIGINALS & LIMITED EDITION GICLEES: at my Etsy shop ORDER CUSTOMIZED NOTECARDS & REPRODUCTIONS: at Imagekind COMMISSION A PET PORTRAIT: contact me GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE: contact

"Finnigan," 11" x 14", mixed media on bristol board, not for sale. Inquiries (including booking your own pet portrait, from miniature size [4" x 4"] to larger than life) may always come to me . When I'm not doing pet portraits, chances are I'm doing something I call "creative journalling." Creative journals are today's equivalent of a diary, a combination of journalling, drawing, and painting - a means of collecting ideas that are both textually and visually based. I keep several journals which are places I can safely commit my ideas, without fear of reprimand or criticisms. Creative journalling is especially keyed towards younger souls - those who don't yet have a total grasp of vocabulary or representational skills to completely express their ideas in one direction or the other (text vs visual). They are also a perfect match for those interested in expressing ideas exclusive of pure verbage. Creative journalling is the best p

"Iris I," 8" square, portrait of a Himalayan kitty, acrylic on canvasboard, available for purchase. Inquiries (including booking your own pet portrait, from miniature size [4" x 4"] to larger than life) may always come to me . Why the Roman Numeral in the title, you ask? Because there is also an "Iris II" in the works - I've just run out of steam today and won't have her done until tomorrow. I love all the brushwork in Iris's chest - those poufs of fur are soft and lovely, and I would sink my fingers into them, provided she was willing, of course. Being the diva she is, Iris would have to grant me permission to love on her before I dared to do anything! My client will get her pick of the two paintings, and the other one will be up for grabs. Don't hesitate to let me know if you are interested. Thanks, as always, for looking at - and sharing - my artwork with your friends and family. Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com www.paintingad

Untitled, from the Saratoga Series, 6" x 8", acrylic on Raymar panel, depicting Thoroughbreds and their jockeys on the track at Saratoga in New York, $349 to the first one who asks nicely. I know there's a great title here, but I'll be darned if I can think of it - suggestions welcomed! Your ideas (including inquiries about commissioned projects) may come straight to me . There's something about the pagentry and color of horse racing, which aside from the beasts themselves, is mesmerizing. I wanted to capture a sliver of that with this composition - the jockeys and their mounts became a simple excuse for daubs of color. Color is such fun. At the opposite end of the spectrum, there sits the power of black and white. I want to share with you a portrait of that my friend and uber talented Sheona Hamilton-Grant (aka The Graphite Queen) did of Finnigan. The drawing is due to arrive any day now. I'm getting a small taste of the anticipation and excitement you al

"Pastural," reworked, from the January 2010 Virtual pARTy, 4" x 16", acrylic on Raymar panel, $429.. Inquiries (including booking your own pet portrait, from miniature size [4" x 4"] to larger than life) may always come to me . You first saw this painting last month, when I began it as part of the January Virtual pARTy. As the pARTy rules dictate, entries must be completed withing 24 hours. Well, I competed my entry within the alloted time (please refer to the image below), then gave myself artistic license today to rework it (as seen in the image above). That's my perogative, right? To play with a painting until I'm satisfied. I still see a few things to correct, but it's moving in the right direction. Thanks, as always, for looking at - and sharing - my artwork with your friends and family. Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com www.paintingadogaday.com SHOP ORIGINALS & LIMITED EDITION GICLEES: at my Etsy shop ORDER CUSTOMIZED NOTECARDS &a

"Simon," 6" x 8," acrylic on canvasboard, commissioned pet portrait of a rescued Beagle, private collection (THANK YOU!). Inquiries (including booking your own pet portrait, from miniature size [4" x 4"] to larger than life) may always come to me . I feel like many of my clients are family. Simon's is no exception - and our paths crossed simply because they moved into the home of a past Dog a Day collector and received one of my mailings. Years and many paintings later, we are still working together, our latest endeavor a portrait of their newest family member, Simon. A posthumous portrait of Simon's brother Shadow will follow later this week. A larger version of Simon is also in the works for my summer solo show. "Happily Ever After" will focus on the second chances rescued animals get - and give. It is serendipitous to include Simon in this collection, the latest little guy in this family's history of rescues and sponsored dogs.

"LeeLoo's New Collar," 8" x 10", acrylic on canvasboard commissioned pet portrait of a relatively solid Pug, private collection (well, techinically I'm still waiting for my client's approval). Inquiries (including booking your own pet portrait, from miniature size [4" x 4"] to larger than life) may always come to me . LeeLoo was so proud of her beautiful new Coach collar, you could just see her preening and working it. I just want to give this girl a good chin scratch. Looks like she could use a nibble of something to eat, too..... Did you notice how, between the shape of the collar and the upper edge of her skull, the composition forms a circle in the middle of the painting? All the boldest color and sharpest edges are contained in this circle, which anchors the focal point and allows the viewer's eyes to rest exactly where they are supposed to. Thanks, as always, for looking at - and sharing - my artwork with your friends and family. K