Paintings With Soul

"Louie," 9" x 12", acrylics on museum quality panel, depicting a baby donkey with a new lease on life (keep reading!). This portrait is $539, with complimentary shipping inside the US, and 50% of the sale will go to Louie's rescue Lucky A Ranch.   Let me know if you want to adopt his painting (let Lucky A Ranch know if you want to adopt the real Louie!). Louie's Mom Peanut was rescued from a kill pen by Lucky A. They knew she was pregnant, but were told she had several months before delivery. Peanut and two other donkeys arrived at their new home late in the evening the following day. Two days - not two months! - later, Peanut delivered Louie, a perfect little 4 legged delight. He arrived in the midst of an Arizona cold spell, and was outfitted with a darling warm zig-zagged blanket to help him better weather the temperatures. Proceeds from the sale of this painting will support Lucky A Ranch in their continued rescue efforts.  Special...

"Eeyore," 6" x 6," acrylics on masonite, depicting another Sal-Val rescued stuffie, Disney's Eeyore. $75, includes s&h inside the US. How can you NOT love the grumpiest of grumps? Bring him home,  and then, I dare you to smile and be joyful around him! SOLD (thank you!). Perhaps I'm Onto Something I've been reading quite a bit about this whole "100" commitment - the idea being that you commit to doing something 100 times. Establishing new routines, pushing boundaries, learning. It all sounds wonderful and grand, but I couldn't quite see how a commitment to 100 of anything would benefit me, since I was already committed to daily painting. Then, as a result of the 6" square studies done in Lisa Kennedy 's class a couple weeks ago, I realized I could continue to practice and explore new ways of seeing and working from life in nice little byte sized pieces. I've done at least one nearly every...

"Beast of Burden," 8" x 16", commissioned donkey painting, done in acrylics on canvasboard, part of a corporate collection (THANK YOU!). Inquiries may come to me . I have been commissioned to create a new series of paintings depicting the plight of animals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It's a tough subject matter, for the majority of the animals I've seen (via photographs) have been malnourished, terribly overworked, and suffer a poor quality of life. I want to paint them as they are, but also highlight the majesty and strength they possess. It's a wonderful challenge and i've enjoyed working the concepts up. You can read more about my client, the Amsale Gessesse Memorial Foundation , and their advocacy at their website . The Foundation has partnered with Best Friends Animal Sanctuary and the Humane Society International, pioneering a Trap Neuter Program in Addidas Ababa and making significant progress in countering this community's homeless pet prob...

"Zig Zag," image 8" x 18", framed size approximately 16" x 22", double donkey portrait, acrylic on board, private collection. These are two rescued donkeys that I spent some time with last summer - I loved the "ying-yang" quality of how their movements mirrored each other. "Zig Zag" will be going home with Friday's "Donkey Face." A warm thank you to my returning collector who has been along for the dog-a-day ride since its beginnings in Oct 2006. This client has shared some beautiful little furry faces of her own with the project. When she let it slip this past weekend that she actually had donkeys too, well, I had to give her a sneak peek of "Zig Zag". If you are interested in commissioning a dog-a-day portrait of your own, please send an inquiry to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . I have a few remaining holiday slots for returning clients, which I expect will go quickly. I am booking new clients (and non-holid...

"Donkey Face," 4" x 8", acrylic on canvasboard, donkey portrait, $249. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . SOLD. This is another painting from the Grand National Art Show in San Francisco last April. It is beautifully framed, oozing color amplified by loose brushwork, and bursting with personality. School's out, but I'm hitting the proverbial books next week. I'll be taking a worrkshop in plein air painting, working in oils, and today I played with my (new) supplies, trying to familiarize myself a bit with the paints. I had wanted to post my (oil) painting, but it's still VERY wet and needs quite a bit of tweaking. I can see that I will enjoy the oils, though. They give me quite a bit of latitude when it comes to edge work, and present a challenge with respect to keeping the colors I've laid down fresh and clean. I'll figure it out, though, with a little more practice. Thanks, as always, for looking. And for sharing these painting...

"Sweet Pea," 4" x 8" (image), miniature donkey portrait, framed acrylic on board, $239. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . This is a painting completed especially for the Grand National Art Show, held in conjunction with the Grand National Rodeo Championships in San Francisco California in April 2008. The painting has a custome gold frame and delicate, soft colors, combining to create a darling piece that will make itself right at home in a variety of settings. Thanks, as always, for looking. And for sharing these paintings with your friends and family. 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 member of the Canine Art Guild http://www.canineartguild.com/ the gateway to canine art on the web

"Dorsal Hills," 5" x 7", donkey painting, acrylic on canvasboard, $149 to the first buyer. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . I have long been interested in repositioning objects so that they become something altogether new. That's what I've done with this donkey, and his furry ears, by silhouetting them against a field pushed out of focus. A friend said she wouldn't want to be caught standing behind HER donkey like this, as she'd be seeing the flash of hooves, and have no time to enjoy the wisps on the underside of his ears. That's the beauty of painting, though, as I can safely position my viewer wherever I choose. Thanks, as always, for looking. And for forwarding these paintings to friends and family! 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 member of the Canine Art Guil...