Paintings With Soul

"Barbie I (Toy #9)," 6" x 6," acrylics on masonite, inspired by one of those Barbie mannequin heads designed for little ones to refine their ever critical ponytail and eyeshadow skills. This painting is $75, with free shipping inside the US. Purchasing is as simple as  asking . SOLD (THANK YOU!) I'm Getting Good at Juggling Painting daily toys. Working on new paintings for galleries. Coordinating projects with a few new collectors. Continuing studies/ideas discovered in Stanka Kordic and Lisa Kennedy 's workshops earlier this year. Learning bookbinding and journaling skills with Ingrid Dijkers (one week left!). Sparking creativity during a year long class with Carla Sonheim and Lynn Whipple . Structuring a website revamp. Building my post-Kentucky Derby marketing plans. And these are just a few of what I juggle when I'm wearing my artist-hat. Good thing the juggling superpower comes in handy when wearing my mom-hat...

"The King (Elvis)," 6" x 8", acrylics on a Raymar panel, a portrait of none other than The King Himself, still life done from a vintage doll (stamped "1984 E.P.E" on the back!), $329 to the first one raising their hand. Inquires may come directly to me . In process pics are here .  Today started with a little extra sleep (can never go wrong with that!), then a private art lesson with one of my favorite young ladies, then some loud music and dancing solo at my easel. Now I'm off to deliver a pre-lacrosse practice snack to one kid, collect another from a volunteering gig, and get in a powerwalk all before the sun sets. Hope your day has been just as excellent! Thank you, thank you very much!  Happy Weekend, Kim   ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

The finished version, still damp to the touch! "Hot to Trot," 12" x 12", acrylics on a Raymar panel, depicting Marzipan, a Barbie Fairytale plastic horse. "Hot to Trot" is available for $599 - inquiries may come  to me . Please and thank you! Fridays start with yoga class. I've missed it for various reasons for over a month. My instructor had taken to calling me the "Yoga Dropout," it was that bad! I practice at home, but nobody pushes me as hard as her, so getting back on my mat this morning was a wonderful gift to myself. By the end of the class, my head was clear and my muscles all stretched out and quivery. Yoga was followed up by a massage. The past few weeks have been riddled with stress and I needed to work out the tension I'd been carrying in my back and shoulders. Easy fix - lavender butter, quiet music, and a little snooze. My brain slipped into slo-mo and my muscles were even more quivery by the end of...

In process detail of "Hot to Trot," 12" x 12", acrylics on a Raymar panel, depicting Marzipan, a Barbie Fairytale plastic horse. "Hot to Trot" is available for $599 - inquiries may come  to me . Please and thank you! Continuing exploring some of the possibilities I discovered in the workshop earlier this week, I played with more plastic ponies today. It took me a good hour before I settled on Marzipan - particularly because her pink plastic really glowed when lit from behind, and she cast a wonderfully colorful shadow.  Also, her delicate feathery mane and tail provided an opportunity to try and paint an ethereal texture. And some intriguing edge work, too. There's in process photos here , and a photo of the setup here . And tomorrow I hope to have a finished painting to show off! Thanks, as always, for following along with my artwork! Happy holidays! Warmly, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.co

"Ken on a Stick," 6" x 8", acrylics on a museum quality panel, starring non-other than Malibu Ken, $329.  In process photos here  and  inquiries may come to me . I bought Ken - just his head, mind you - off ebay a couple months ago. Best dollar ever spent. You should have seen the rejoicing among the Barbies when just his head arrived up. I think there's a little bit of history here - maybe he was less than gentlemanly to them in the past.  Thanks for following along with my artwork, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

A journal page created this weekend while escorting The Princess to a dance convention and competition. Water soluble pencil, watercolors, and gel pen. My inbox is overflowing with notes - apparently my last blog post resonated with many of you. Thanks for the notes of encouragement and commisseration. We are all in this journey together, that's for sure. While I had a busy schedule this weekend, my art supplies or iPad were always at hand . I was able to journal in the dressing room and did some digital painting in the classrooms. And I took pictures, shot video, and filled my visual memory up with ideas for new works.  Oh yeah, and had quality time with my daughter, who makes me so proud I could just burst. Thanks for following along with my artwork! Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

"Untitled," 6" x 8", my most recent Barbie portrait, done in acrylics on a museum quality panel, available to the first collector asking nicely, $329 including s&h inside the US. Inquiries may come to me . And in process images  are here. Tomorrow will be consecutive Snow Day #5. If I include all of Christmas break and the snow day that kicked said break off, tomorrow will be day 20. With. My. Kids. Home. Not that I'm counting.  There is no end in sight - the roads are ridiculously icy and snow covered, high winds are creating absurd sub-zero temperatures, and the dog won't even go out to pee without a food item (preferably warmed, although I doubt it is so when he finds it) thrown into the drifting snow. If I were Barbie, I'd be sailing through these days with sublime makeup, perfect hair and matching shoes. Our reality is very different. For instance, I celebrated showering today. Just a peek into the glamorous ...

"Disheveled," 10" x 12", portrait of a ratty haired Barbie, done in acrylics on a museum quality panel, available to the first collector asking nicely, $600 including s&h inside the US. Inquiries may come to me . SOLD (thank you) In process images of Barbie's newest painting are shared here, including a photo of my non-conventional setup. I'm relatively new to still life work, and trying to get creative in how I stage and light the dolls. It's more challenging than you realize - having an interesting play of light and shadow on the object I'm painting while also maintaining even light on my easel and palette, all within the confines of a 10'x12' room. I'm game for tips - all you still life experts, please speak up!! Thanks for following along with my artwork! Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

"Updo," 6" x 7," acrylics on a museum quality panel, depicting a tousled-hair Barbie. Inquiries may come to me . Today was supposed to be spent finishing up a commission, but that didn't play out. Which makes two days in a row that my days have not gone as planned. But who's counting, right? I'll tell you who - my boss. She's certifiable. So with limited time to paint today, I decided to finish this little Barbie piece started last nite after everyone went to bed. (And I DON'T get paid overtime, just for the record) So who's putting money on how tomorrow goes? I'm not holding my breath, but I AM lighting a candle for my muse to be uninterrupted. And be highly productive. Or else I'm fired. Thanks for following along, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com