NEW PAINTING Spooked

"Spooked," 16" x 20" x 1/2", mixed media painting on gallery wrapped canvas, $649 plus s&h to the first asking nicely. I accept paypal, personal checks and payment plans. Inquiries may always come to me.

I came into the studio this morning, but had no focus or desire to create. It's been fading as these weeks have toiled on, and I actually went offline for a good part of the weekend, in an effort to minimize doom scrolling and keep my morale up.

Usually I can pick up a brush and get something started, even if my heart isn't in it, but today was different. Nothing showed up. So I busied myself with paperwork and correspondence and other admin tasks and tried to gently call up a visual while getting other things done.

I kept seeing black scribbles. Fierce and angry ones. Tightly snarled, dark and fearful. Threatening.

I decided to give into them. Just grab a tool and bring them to life. No expectations, just giving myself permission to make marks. It was hard. Ugly. Raw. I found a creative flow where I stopped caring and just painted. I actually closed my eyes and scribbled on this piece several times. It didn't matter where the marks ended up - just that they got out.

This is a tough painting to look at, but it is what I'm feeling right now. And there's a certain beauty to the honest strength of the emotion. I realize now that the creation of it was like a much needed hard and ugly cry.

And that this piece may have given me the key I have been seeking in investing more emotion into my work.

Thanks, as always, for following along on my art journey,
Warmly, Kim

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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

“Rapt (Shadow),” from the Larger than Life series, 16”x22”, acrylic black lab mixed breed pet portrait on gallery wrapped canvas, $699. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . SOLD. This is Shadow, who went missing on Sunday night. He belongs to a friend of mine, and has been a fixture in our community for many years. Errant fireworks scared the silly old guy into running off, and his family is busy searching for him. (If you happen to be in the Lake Orion/Oakland County area and have seen Shadow, please call 248-391-0867 or 248-391-6817) I’m confidant that he is safe (somewhere!) and awaiting discovery, but meanwhile, couldn’t help myself from posting his portrait as today’s dog a day painting . He’s constantly on my mind, and probably will remain so, until he finds his way back home. Hug your four legged guys while you can! Thanks, as always, for looking. And for sharing these paintings with friends and family, Kim Kimberly Kelly Santini http://www.turtledovedesigns.com/ dis

NEW! Etsy Store

One of my favorite unsold paintings from 2008, "Lashes & Corkscrews," 5" x 8", acrylic on canvasboard, depicting a tobiano buckskin curly horse, $289. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com (but read further on how you can get a special deal on this painting!). Now it's ridiculously easy to browse my painting archives. All you have to do is visit my Etsy store . Etsy has a Shopping Cart (so you can pile it high with purchases from a variety of artists), is integrated with Paypal (although you may still pay by check if you prefer to), and is terribly simple to navigate. When the week has ended, I will have listed almost 100 of my favorite (UNSOLD!) paintings here, grouped loosely by subject matter. During 2009 I'll update the shop regularly, and add non-Dog-a-Day pieces as a bonus, thus making it easy to search for that perfect gift. Watch my daily postings for announcements, promotions and discount codes. If you do not receive the Dog-a-Day emails (

Paintings With Soul

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