Skip to main content

Finnigan

"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 platform to explore thoughts and direction in that there are absolutely no limitations whatsoever.

I am especially blessed in that I have multiple opportunities to work with students, exposing them with means to embrace their own voices and share ideas through journalling. (I'll be leading a Creative Journalling class at Little Monsters in the next two weeks - call them for information - 248-814-8697).

This week I am the visiting artist at an elementary school, working with 4th graders on identifying the visual elements in story telling. Specifically we will be creating collaged pet portraits like my Finnigan's (above), working at sharing our own stories through the use of visual and textual cues.

The workshop will culminate in a professional level exhibition encompassing the artwork created during our time together, complete with an opening party and press reviews.

And should the weather cooperate, all will begin tomorrow with a presentation outlining key details in building a portrait: positive vs negative space, patterning, cropping, color, text, material use, layers and edgework.

Want me to come to your school for a similar workshop? Send me an email!

Thanks, as always, for looking at - and sharing - my artwork with your friends and family.
Kim


PS Looking for Iris II? Stay tuned - I'll share it asap!!
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 website: The First Year (2006-2007) and That's 14 in Dog Years (2008). If you would like your copy personalized, order them through me.
Labels:

Comments

  1. Bobbie's Blog Spot7:46 AM

    Kim,
    You are my hero!! Where do you find all your energy!? Love your work!
    Bobbie Deuell

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kimberly Kelly Santini10:23 PM

    Bobbie, I think I just feed off doing what I love to do! :) Thanks so much, though! -Kim

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Picture Book "A Dog Named Blue" - now available!!

The cover of "A Dog Named Blue," now available from Blurb publishers. When I first painted Amelia I never imagined that she would be re-christened "Blue" and inspire a book. In her defense, Amelia had a number of other partners in crime - animals who's portraits seemed to fall into a specific color category and prompt color-centric names. In typical ADD fashion, my brain started spinning 100mph. What if I turned those muses' paintings into a picture book for animal loving kids? I shared my idea with three friends in the industry, and they eagerly offered their expertise. I am truly indebted to them. Illustrator and author Matt Faulkner and children's book author and literacy expert Kristen Remenar edited an early version of the draft. They suggested key plot/conceptual changes that made it oodles better. Designer Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson worked her magic, pairing the images with perfectly color...
1 comment
Read more

Tabby Kit

"Tabby Kit," 5" x 7", acrylics on a museum quality panel, depicting a tiny little orange striped guy from Morgue File . This painting can be yours for $289, which includes s&h inside the US. And in case you didn't see it, a little doodle of him is also available for sale here . Inquires may come directly to me .  Although it certainly doesn't FEEL like spring here (snow and ice and wind chills, brr!), I can tell that spring is coming. The mercury is rising a wee bit each day and the days are getting longer and brighter. Over the weekend we drove with the moonroof open just to feel the sun's meager and oh-so-very-welcome warmth (although the heat in the car was cranked, too, in the interest of full disclosure!). I wanted to work with spring-like colors today, and this little guy was still on my mind , so I grabbed a small panel and got to work. Of course, I also have Poppy to finish and some changes to make to another po...
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