Partners in Crime

"Partners in Crime (Mona Lisa)," 6" x 8", painting of my studio kitten, done in Golden Open Acrylics on a Raymar panel, $329 to the first one asking nicely. A donation will also be made to the Oakland Pet Adoption Center when Mona's painting sells.

For those of you new to Painting a Dog a Day, we adopted a teeny 2 lb Mona Lisa in early September from our local shelter. She had been dumped somewhere, all alone, and was picked up by an animal control officer before she got herself into trouble.

She's quite a little spark in our household, keeping us all on our toes, even in the dark of night. She's mastered snuggling under covers, purring at your feet, playing blanket monster, and hogging the pillow.

Someone tucked a sock monkey into the basket where she lounges during the day (my reference photo is near the bottom of today's blog). She scoops her body right in between Monkey's arms and legs and builds quite a nest for herself.

It's wonderful having a kitten in the house again.

Wanna see the other Mona paintings? They have sold, but you can order reproductions or notecards from myFineArtAmerica site. I'll be adding "Partners in Crime" to the site later today.

Go off now and enjoy your weekend!

Thanks, as always, for supporting my artwork!

Kim

ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

PS Are you thinking about 10% off newly booked commissions ?? the commission has to be booked during January, but can happen at any time of this year. Shoot me an email if you are interested!

2011 = Savor

Every year I choose a word that represents the goals I've set for myself. This is an idea I borrowed from art quilter Lisa Call (if you are an artist, regardless of your media, and you don't read her blog, you are missing out big time!).

I've been pondering much the last few weeks about what word would work best for me. Past years included "Focus" and "Listen," reminders of how much I want to learn and grown.

Not that I'm done with learning or growing, but I am guilty of getting too caught up in it all. I have to remember to slow down and take things in properly. If I can master this, in turn I'll gather even more from my days.

Hence my choice for this year. Savor.

(I'd be lying if I didn't also mention how appealing the connection was between my word and a favorite activity - cooking and eating!)

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...

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...

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...

Paintings With Soul

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