Paintings With Soul

      FROM LEFT:  "Green Heart Tag," "Gold Star Tag," and "Green Flower Tag," each 4" square, acrylic on museum quality panel, and all being sold at auction now on  the studio Facebook page .   Bidding starts at $20US. Winning bidder responsible for shipping and handling costs.   Bid via commenting on the painting you desire. Highest bid at 10pm EST tomorrow March 3rd, 2013 is the lucky dog!   One can never have enough green in one's life!     Thanks so much for supporting my artwork! Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com   PS  In process pictures of the tags are on  the studio's Facebook page .  

    "Billmurray," 4" square, a commissioned dog tag painting, acrylic on museum quality panel, private collection (THANK YOU!).  Let me know  if you want one of these done up custom with your dog's name.     And yes, I will be doing a mess of green tags for St Patty's Day, so stay tuned! It'll probably be the tail end of next week or early the following.   Don't forget the current auction going on over on  Facebook  - eight older paintings are looking for new homes. Bidding ends at 9pm EST.    Hope everyone in the Midwest is holed up and safe as this newest storm moves through - grab a book and settle in if you can! Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com     Elizabeth (on right) and I at The Heidelberg Project last  summer, doing our best Charlie's Angels imitation     Up & Coming Tonite, 6-8pm, grownUPs Journaling class at th...

      CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:  " Double Ring Valentine ," " S Hook Valentine ," " Orange Shadowed Valentine ," and " Paperclip Valentine ," each 4" square, acrylic on museum quality panel, each available for purchase.   These paintings will be auctioned  on the studio's Facebook page  - bidding will begin at $1 and run through 10pm EST Wednesday, January 30th.    Place your bid via commenting on the painting you want.    Pay via Paypal by Friday, February 1st, 2013, and your painting will ship on Monday.   Want to commisison a painting of your own animal's tags? of course I can do that!! shoot an email  in my direction .     It's a one-day auction on these mini paintings!    The auction has already started - click on the title of the painting you want and be directly transported to the correct page!   Or visit the...

      "Valentine IV," 4" square, acrylics on panel, gorgeously framed and wired, ready to hang.   This painting is being auctioned off RIGHT NOW via Facebook** with half the proceeds going to my favorite shelter, the Oakland Pet Adoption Center. (Actually, I'll tell you a secret - all I want to do is cover my framing costs, and then the rest is going to go to the shelter.)   Place your bids  here . But hurry, because bidding ends at 6pm EST tomorrow, January 16th, 2013.   Thanks for playing along.   And if you want to talk about commissioning something extra special -  email me  and we can talk.     **You DO NOT have to have a Facebook account to view the auction, but you do need to have one in order to place a bid.   I cleaned out my painting storage this morning and found the little treasure above. It seemed serendipitous to unearth a heart shaped...

"Grandpa's Hunting Buddies," 8" square, acrylic on canvasboard depicting vintage dog tags, $229. Inquiries may come to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com .   I've been slacking on handling emails and paperwork, and sat down this morning to return a couple phone calls and deal with a few pressing inquiries, advertising deadlines and computer projects. Before I knew it, the morning was gone as was 1/2 the afternoon.   Somedays you've gotta play catchup at the desk, though. I probably spend 85% of my time doing tasks other than painting. Since the earlier part of this week has been very heavy on the painting hours, it was bound to catch up to me.   So today's painting is a rerun, one of my favorite paintings ever. Inspired by a flea market find from last summer, "Grandpa's Hunting Buddies" is listed on my Etsy store , along with all the other remaining unsold Dog-a-Days and some large paintings on gallery stretched canvas  (inclu...

"Tribute," from the "Tags, Toys & Treasures" series, 12" square, acrylic on canvasboard, still life depicting dog collar and tags, exquisitely framed, $749 to the first taker. Proceeds from the sale of this painting will be donated to my local shelter, the Oakland Pet Adoption Center. Inquiries may always come to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . I have a similar painting hanging here in my studio. It's a favorite because it reminds me of what I had, what I have, and what will come to me. The proverbial circle of life. Today's piece is a tribute to all who have crossed the bridge. I know the Dog-a-Day family lost quite a few over the holidays. I have friends and family who's lives are emptier now, too. My heart goes out to all of you. This collar belonged to a friend's dog (thank you, Juliet). I tried to light it evenly, but you can actually see traces of my easel lamp along with a paler shadow cast from the window. I need to figure out a wa...

It's a good thing my head's attached. I went to post today's painting, and discovered I had never followed through and posted Friday's. Geez. You'd'a thunk somebody'd a told me...... "Grandpa's Hunting Buddies," 8" square, still life painting of vintage dog tags and licenses, from the "Tags, Toys & Treasures" series, acrylic on board, $229 to the first buyer. Inquiries may come to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . My son dug this ring of tags from a tattered box of tools at a flea market this last weekend. We have been wondering ever since about the story behind all the tags. So far I best like the idea that they were the last physical reminder of two decades of hunting dogs and years of working the fields together. I'll be painting these tags over and over as we continue this discussion, penning new stories each time. If you are interested in contributing dog tags/licenses to my collection for inclusion in future paintin...

"Finnigan's Collar (from the Tags, Toys and Treasures series)," 8" square, still life painting of dog collar with tags, $199 to the first buyer. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . SOLD. Having Finn back home has been wonderful. While he remains a little weathered looking, his honest and saucy nature has returned. It has been reassuring to hear him take an interest again in household activities - announcing the arrival of the garbage truck (in case I hadn't already heard it), dashing to the kitchen whenever the fridge gets opened (like he's EVER getting table scraps again!), and whining to go out and play with the neighbor dog when she's come to visit. If it weren't so icy today, I would have indulged in a short game of snow frisbee, but he'll just have to wait for that another day or so. This painting was a bear. I'm not supposed to admit when something is particularly difficult (said tongue in cheek - remember that survey I did l...

I woke this morning and had been painting these in my dream. So of course I had to try it out for real. Here's the latest installation in my Tags, Toys & Treasures series - so fresh off the easel that they are not even on my website yet. These are all small paintings, each starring their own heart shaped dog tag. They will make the most perfect Valentines for the most perfect someone (including yourself). But don't wait - as always, I'm selling them at a set price, and these are one of a kind original paintings. I do not know if I'll get a chance to paint more of them in the coming days..... Shipping will be another $7 within the contiguous United States (and yes, I do combine shipping!). from left: Valentine I, 4" x 5", gold heart shaped dog tag on yellow ground with red ribbon, SOLD . Valentine II, 4" x 5", yellow heart shaped dog tag on pale green ground with pink ribbon. SOLD. Valentine III, 4" x 4", red heart shaped dog tag on S ho...

"Silver Star," 4" x 8", still life painting comprised of dog tags, acrylic on canvasboard, $135. Inquiries may always come to me at ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . Dog tags and other dog ephemera are also welcome - I continue to build still lifes from the objects you send in. Submissions may be mailed to 346 N Anderson, Lake Orion, MI 48362. If you would like your materials back, please include return postage. I will acknowledge receipt of all items. What a varied and thought provoking response I got to my question earlier this week, when I asked your feelings about an article I had read advising artists to maintain a sense of mystery about their creative process. Overwhelmingly I was told not to change the blog or the dog-a-day project - which isn't going to happen. I wasn't seriously considering it at all - just curious why the dog-a-day project was thriving despite what art marketing experts recommended. Here are just a few of the ideas I've been mu...

"Green Tags #1," 4" x 8", dog tag still life painting, acrylic on canvasboard, $135. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . SOLD. I had a lot of momentum going after finishing up a larger portrait today, and started rifling through the tags I have filed. I pulled out these green ones, strung them together, and did this little painting. Now I think I might head up to my jewelry box to find my old bracelet with the cat charm. While not a dog tag, it will make for a tender little painting.... I'll also assign the kids to toy duty when they get off the bus, and have them collect all their little plastic 4-legged critters for inclusion in a painting. My brain simply won't stop. I think perhaps I need to pour myself a glass of wine and try to unwind!! See you tomorrow, Kim Kimberly Kelly Santini http://www.turtledovedesigns.com/ distinctive pet portraits & 4-legged paintings http://www.paintingadogaday.com/ come. sit. stay. enjoy the art. Founding memb...

“Fraidy’s Circle,” 5x7, still life of dog tags, acrylic on canvasboard, $135 to the first buyer. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . When I opened the envelope containing these tags, one shiny and blue, the others all bright and silver, I saw the composition immediately. I simply had to arrange them like a flower, with the blue tag at the center, and the others posing as petals. Of course, after I learned that Fraidy is a cat, and the other tags came from her harem of dogs, then the arrangement seemed even more fitting. I want to try this again, with different lighting, on some other backdrops/cloths, and from different angles. With each piece I do, I see so many new possibilities. I need more time!! J Thanks for looking! Kim Kimberly Kelly Santini http://www.turtledovedesigns.com/ distinctive pet portraits & 4-legged paintings http://www.paintingadogaday.com/ come. sit. stay. enjoy the art. Founding member of the Canine Art Guild http://www.canineartguild.com/ the gatew...

“Holland #551,” 4x5, acrylic dog tag still life on canvasboard, available for purchase, nicely framed, for $279. Proceeds from the sale of this painting will benefit animal welfare. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . Holland was the first dog my husband and I adopted. He was a senselessly goofy black and white pointer-lab mix – huge in heart, but not terribly gifted when it came to brains. And he had a stomach of steel – that dog could (and did) digest everything that made it down his throat. I wish I could remember the name of the shelter we got him from – somewhere north of Thousand Oaks California, perhaps in the Oxnard area. He only stayed a few years – we both worked at the time, and when Rick changed jobs and could no longer bring Holland with him each day, the dog was miserable. We found a family with a stay-at-home mom and two young children who were willing to smother Holland with love. And tolerate his appetite for lawn furniture. If you find a couple of dog tags ...

“The Purple Collar,” 6x12, acrylic dog collar painting on canvasboard, $200 to the first buyer. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . This one was really fun. I started out by toning the canvas a very light violet, and then loosely drew in the shape of the collar. By dry brushing and scrubbing at the earliest stages, I was able to get the shape of the shadow painted without any hassles at all. Then it just became a matter of using gradually tightening brushwork to define the webbing of the collar, and the tags themselves. Just because I could, I then dropped in some pure pigment in a couple of places nearest to the tags, in order to create a focal point. There is a nice abstract quality to this painting – just the simple shapes, and some basic color. I think this is one of my favorites based purely on that. I am always accepting donations of dog tags, licenses (expired!), collars, and other ephemera for inclusion in this still life project. Please include a self-addressed, sta...

“Louisiana SPCA #1440,” 6x8, dog tag still life painting in acrylic on canvasboard, $120. (Myra, if you are reading this, please check in with me – you have the right of first refusal, but I do not have an email address for you!) Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . SOLD. This is the second installment in The Dog Tag Series. I set it up this afternoon, not wanting to clean my brushes after finishing Kizzy’s dog-a-day portrait, and not having enough time before school busses arrived to get into something larger. I was immediately drawn to this tag. The bright green color, the rusted links of chain, the bold numbers. After reading the note that accompanied the tag, I learned that Ginger, or the original #1440, led a long and happy life. But I liked that the viewer can bring their own interpretation to the piece. There is a lot of soft, beautiful color in here. I tried to model the chain and tag with color temperature changes, and not just shifts in value. The biggest challeng...

NOTE: My apologies for posting this out of order. It really came about on September 27th. I have a new painting idea that I need to request your help with. Some of you might recall my musings about working more from actual items, and incorporating paintings of dog ephemera into the dog-a-day project. Well, I want to take that one step further. I would like to do a still life painting of dog tags, actually a series of paintings of dog tags, titled simply “Memories.” A handful on a tablecloth. One lying forgotten in an overgrown garden. A few hanging from an old collar on a hook. An old bell jar ½ full. A montage of them on a flat surface. My brain keeps spinning with the idea. The only problem? I just have a few tags myself. This is where you come in. IF you can part with your tags – whether they be id ones, or old licenses, or rabies tags – whatever the case – I would be honored to add them to my collection, and capture them in paint. I cannot return them, sadly – I’m not certain...

Last month I came across a gorgeous vintage tooled leather box, something that perhaps was a lady’s small suitcase in years gone by. I bought it as a tote for my paints – impractical, yes, to use such a beautiful box for schlepping my paints around in. But if I could repurpose it, then I could also justify the splurge. Imagine my surprise, then, when I was cleaning the box out, and found a treasure tucked into one of the interior pockets. A vintage dog tag, oval in shape, with a tiny bulldog face engraved and ribbons undulating underneath her head. The ring on the tag reads “please return to,” and I’m guessing the ribbons were the space allocated for the owner’s name and address. But they were never filled. I wonder who’s little dog this tag was meant for, and how it ended up in the bottom of my case. The tag is now tied to the handle of my paint box with a beautiful blue ribbon. Well, really, NOW it’s hanging from a piece of string on an old nail in my studio, but it’ll be returned to...