Neighborhood Watch (Shadow & Charlotte)

"Neighborhood Watch (Shadow & Charlotte)," 8" x 10", portrait of a Cocker Spaniel and a Beagle, done in Golden Open Acrylics on Ampersand Gessobord. This painting is headed to a new home - but if you are interested in something similar, contact me.

My end of year studio purge unearthed the original of this composition, an unfinished 16" x 22" gallery stretched canvas. A few days later, Shadow and Charlotte's Mom emailed me.

"Do you remember that painting you started of my two years ago? you were doing it for an exhibition.... did you ever finish it?" she asked.

"No," I answered, rather sheepishly. "But I'd love to revisit it!"

She was enthusiastic. So was I.

So today they got another turn on my easel. I decided a fresh start would give the painting a brighter outlook. Besides, I really love painting on Ampersand Gessobord. The idea of working on canvas again gave me the heebie-jeebies. I know. Crazy. (I've been called worse).

So here is the painting, done and signed, 4 years later. That's a long time for these two to wait patiently at the window. Maybe I should re-name the painting "Patience"!

Are you interested in commissioning a special portrait? If so, please let me know!

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

Kim

ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

Mona Lisa, pretending she's been sunbathing all afternoon and NOT been playing in the toilet.

Such a Stinker!

Aren't cats supposed to steer clear of water? Mona, apparently, did not get that memo. So far today she's:

Been busted on the counter multiple times, "swimming" in the fish bowl (which is now surrounded by 2 circles of packing tape, face side up).

Kept the toilet seat dame with a tell-tale trail of wet paw prints (Finnigan's smart, but he's not smart enough to frame her).

Dumped my paint water all over the taboret, then splashed around with the mucky brushes (this is my fault for not paying better attention to her hunting pattern when I was painting!).

But then the darned little bug comes and sits daintily at my feet, waiting for eye contact before quietly mewing. I scoop her up, she tucks her head in under my chin, and turns on her engine.

And all is forgiven.

I'm off to get dry socks.

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...

Fisher Price Little People Puppy, Toy #10

"Little People Puppy (Toy #10)," 6" x 6," acrylics on masonite, starring a spunky little spaniel with jointed legs made by Fisher Price This painting is $75, with free shipping inside the US. Purchasing is as simple as asking . I didn't play with this particular version of Little People toys, but I find them very sentimental never the less. They are well designed and charming. I tried to figure out what year Fisher Price made these particular jointed toys which I own (via ebay - I have circus characters too!), but got distracted learning about the history of Little People in general. They have seemingly been around for 50+ years! The Little People barn was a HUGE part of my childhood. The barn doors opened with a "mooooo," but in my head I heard welcoming nickers. Those horses and chickens were real. The brown and orange shag carpeting of my parent's family room became lush rolling pastures of green, and the Little People...

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...

Paintings With Soul

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