STUDIO NEWS November 2019

Me at the Rebecca Louise Law installation currently at Meijer Gardens through March 1, 2020. Photo courtesy of My Better Half.

Studio Newsletter, November 2019

I'm still adjusting to the time change - now the afternoon light wanes long before I do. It's a reminder to slow down and settle in for a season of reflection, both personal and professional. While the fourth quarter of the year typically represents more than half of my annual sales and can be a bit crazed, it is also followed by time specifically set aside for introspection and goal planning.

I look back to November of last year, when I was unpacking and consolidating two studios into my compacted little home space, and truly wish I had held greater trust that the universe would deliver beauty from the upheaval. I'll carry this lesson into 2020 - who knows what wonder awaits me (although I most definitely have a wish list!!)? It's bound to be magical, as I step into 20 years of being a working artist.

Meanwhile, the exhibition season is winding down. I am honored to have two paintings hanging in Starkweather Gallery (Romeo, Michigan) as part of their 20th Anniversary exhibition - these Daydreams will stay through January 2020. And I have a piece in the online members show of the International Society of Experimental Artists (the link on their website isn't working, but here's a direct line to the show hosted on Smugmug).

In other news, I thoroughly enjoyed the workshop I took a couple weeks back with Lauren Everett Finn. She is a generous teacher and a delight to create with - if you get the chance to study with her, please jump on it! I am still working through ideas and paths she set me loose onto. There's plenty of material to carry me forward for a bit. And I've got my sights on a couple additional learning opportunities in the New Year, two with old favorites and one that'll really kick me out of my comfort zone.

This month I'll also focus on commissioned pet portraits (message me for more details - I can squeeze a couple more in!), working out logistics for the newest incarnation of Daydreams, and some online classroom discussions related to developing one's own style (at $5/month, a subscription to my virtual class would make a great gift for anyone wishing to nurture their own creation process). If you are looking for clever gift ideas, may I suggest my FineArtAmerica storefront, where my artwork can be reproduced on a variety of items, including traditional print surfaces, along with blankets, tote bags, notebooks, mugs, smartphone cases, etc.

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday - and having married a Canadian, I am lucky enough to get to celebrate it twice. This year Turkey Round 2 will be here in our home with the Kelly's. And you can bet there will be thanks given for each of you reading this.

And, finally, please let me know what you think. I'm always listening. Feel free to respond to this newsletter, shoot me an email, comment on the blog or interact via Facebook or Instagram. Locals can join my journaling group that meets monthly. There's all sorts of ways for us to connect!

Thanks, as always, for following along with my art and musings,
Warmly, Kim

“Katie’s Moustache,” 6x12, pet portrait in acrylic on canvasboard, $90. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . One glimpse of Katie’s face, and I was hooked. Not only did she fall into my beloved “black & white” category, but she came with a full moustache and doe-like eyes. I first covered the canvas with a variety of blues and purples, using a (mixed) light green and pink for the highlights. (Right now my palette has been expanded to include the following: pthalo blue red, azurite hue, cad red dark, alizarine crimson, cad yellow dark, and then for graying/hazing out I use light green yellow and ultramarine purple.) I lighten with titanium white and darken with one of the blues and a touch of one of the reds. As a side note, at this time last year I was really struggling with my limited palette (I went from about 60 pots of paint to 3), but I have lived the benefits – I am so much more familiar with what I can mix given just this handful of colors. My paintings are also m...

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