Evil Eye (Bad Kitty #!)

NEARLY COMPLETED: "Evil Eye (Badd Kitty #1)," 6" x 10", portrait of Mona Lisa, my gray tabby kitten, done in acrylic on a museum quality panel. Inquiries may come to me.

This is the first painting in a new series of Badd Kitties - I'll be painting cats with attitude and reputations. Do you know of any? We should talk if you do......

Mona does this thing when I'm working late on the computer - she leaps up onto my desk, snugs in under my chin, and gives me a head bump.

She usually also "Kitty types" across my keyboard.

I gently pick her up and put her back on the floor and edit her typed comments.

And two minutes later, she's back again.

She continues this game until I give in, turn the computer off, and take her up to bed (she sleeps in a warm little nest at my feet).

However, if I take too long, the head bumps stop.

Instead, she jumps onto the desktop in one graceful leap, parks her little butt on my hands and gives me the Evil Eye.

That's what I was trying to capture with this painting - that "you-had-better-or-boy-I'm-gonna-make-you" look.

It still needs a little work, but I'll finish it off later tonite. Let's hope it's not too late - I wouldn't want Mona to miss out on any beauty sleep.

Hope that you have a wonderful weekend and are spared your own "Evil Eye"s, whatever they may be,

Kim

ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

Today is Your Last Day........

....to send an entry in for the Dog a Day Valentines Giveaway.

Send 2-3 clear, non-flash copyright free photos of your pet to me, using the subject line of "Valentine." Be creative in your photos - I will be looking for artistic merit, not just cuteness!!

JPG files (the photos you submit) should be at least 5" wide on the longest side and at 100dpi.

Entries must be received by midnight EST TONITE February 10th, 2012.

One entry (2-3 photos of same pet = one entry) per household, please.

Only photos submitted using the above guidelines will be considered.

On Monday I will share the finalists' photos on the studio Facebook page, and on Tuesday (Valentine's Day) I will reveal this year's Dog a Day Valentine via my daily painting.

The winning image will be chosen exclusively based on design elements apparent/inspired by the photographs.

The Dog a Day Valentine painting will be sized according to the composition, but at the very smallest will be a 5"x7" museum quality panel - this is a guaranteed prize of at least $289.

Winner will be responsible for shipping costs.

Please also keep in mind that by submitting your photos you are (1) guaranteeing that you own the copyright to the photos in question (meaning you took them yourself) and (2) granting me permission to use your photos/pet's likeness in a future painting. You have no obligation to purchase future paintings your photos or pet inspire, but you will have first right of refusal.

Now go, off with you, and take some amazing photos!!

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...

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...

Paintings With Soul

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