Paintings With Soul

check them out, take one home At left “Berna Pup,” 8”x8”, $525 and at right “Sunshine,” 6”x8,” $470. Both of these paintings are acrylic on flat museum quality panels, available at my website through the above link. S&H inside the contiguous US is on me. Hawaiian, Alaskan and Canadian shipping available at additional cost. 20 years ago I began my commitment to daily painting, starting the pet portrait project Painting a Dog a Day. Shortly in, the project went viral (viral wasn’t even a thing 20 years back!), and   within days I had an 18 month long wait list for daily paintings . Over the years I developed a unique style and fresh approach that was eagerly anticipated by thousands of collectors. It was a lot of fun until it wasn’t - I burned out around 2017 and have done very few pet portraits since. Until recently. I snuck out to visit my friends at   Kara Bullock Art School   earlier this month and we filmed my next online workshop. Of which the above two paintings ...

  Paint with Me   Come paint with me next week   - October 3-6, in Tustin, California - and learn all the secrets behind how I build paintings full of mystery and delight.   Join   On the Fly   — an intimate 3-day workshop experience all about improvisational painting and following the sparks that thrill you. Together, we’ll explore how to intuitively build a piece inspired by birds and flora (two of my current obsessions). I’ll share insights, walk you through actionable steps to connect with what   really   matters (spoiler: this is how you grow your own style!), and you'll have a front row seat to my personal approaches. Expect spontaneous marks, playground fun, and a compassionate community. Yes, it will be life-altering. Yes, free hugs are included (consent required). Seriously, let’s paint together — you won’t regret it for a second. 💛 Kim P.S. If you’ve taken my online courses, you already have most of the supplies. So just ...

  Bloom, Expand Possibilities learn more or enroll now   Are you ready to paint together? let’s loosen up; listen to our bodies, minds and art; and reignite our love for painting. I have a   new online course   blending intuitive painting with imaginative storytelling. It is packed with insight on how to move into processes I’ve developed specifically to combine representation and abstracted passages.   Let’s look at Fox, Floral, Sky and Color with fresh eyes as we step into a full expression of what we choose to paint and what that means to us. What   Bloom   includes: a detailed breakdown of my signature Create-Destroy-Rebuild process guidance in exploring “what-ifs” and building “must-haves” TWO FULL PAINTINGS - one focused on facial expression, one with dynamic movement a bonus live launch party to kick things off a live Q&A session to support your learning journey an optional add-on mini course to help build a personalized, powerful color...

  I am thrilled to share that I was invited to chat with none other than Kelly Anne Powers' as part of her Learn to Paint podcast. I'm the guest in episode 97. You can catch the episode on your favorite podcast platform or   here on Kelly's website   (which also includes access to an extended cut where I talk about nurturing your Must Haves and other gems).  In our conversation I talk about why you shouldn’t be afraid to cover up what you’ve put down (that universal problem of things becoming precious!), how to build an intuitive approach to your painting process (working from your humanity, your gut, is always authentically fresh and something AI simply cannot replicate) and why you might need to start a studio log (more on that below). Plus so very much more. But let's jump to the big question - What is a studio log? I started one decades ago as backup documentation for tax purposes. Initially it recorded what I did on work days with regard...

    I have been hard at work behind the scenes, creating on demand lesson videos for students unable to commit to a workshop experience or my student membership. My goal is to provide affordable, easily digestable bites of thinking, painting process and specific technique in a streamable, self study format. These videos are takeaways from other teaching experiences, so they have already been student tested and approved. In them I share approaches to ideation, techniques, thought processes, and various tips on things like color mixing, palette management and intuitive work. I hope to release them monthly. If you have already painted with me in some capacity, check out the lesson descriptions to ascertain if the video is derivative from an experience you might already have had. The newest addition to this growing library is   The Making of Columbine , in which I outline the progression of a painting from the initial contour drawing all the way through to completion. There's...

"Rudy & Riley," 11"x14"x1, acrylics on cradled panel, commissioned portrait. HOWEVER, if you recognize these two, please please please keep it on the down low, as the portrait has not been yet gifted (the recipient is not on Facebook). inquiries can always come  to me . For years I have been asked to teach pet portraiture online. I mean years - probably a decade or so. You have been more than patient with me. Which is why I am so thrilled to finally announce that I am doing so! May 18th at 7pm eastern I will begin Part 1 of a live demonstration of a pet portrait. I'm starting from the very beginning, building a composition that will look and feel like our subject, using   the wonderful goofball Bean   as our model. I plan to talk about reference photo curation, composition and design, then go into surface choice and preparation, blocking the painting in, and carry the mark-making until the piece is completed (or close enough that you all get the point). We w...

Above is a little video short made while drinking my tea this morning. Sal was perched on the couch arm, and couldn't figure out if he wanted to watch me, what was going on outside, or take a nap. I quietly waited until he made a decision, then quickly began finding my edges. The whole thing took about 5 minutes (with my ipad, ipencil and procreate). Painting is 1000xs harder if you don't know how to draw. So many decisions made at the easel involve drawing - whether it be with a brush, a piece of chalk or in our heads. In order to create believable form, one has to have a solid understanding of their subject matter. And drawing - from life, every chance I get - is the best way I know to learn. Technology makes this a bit easier with a variety of apps, touch screens and tools. Or one can choose to practice the old fashioned way, with pencil and paper. It doesn't matter the approach - both ways will teach eye hand coordination and practice ...

Above, detail of today's workshop demo, representing approximately an hours worth of work, mostly wet on wet, acrylics on panel, 11" x 14". There's the adage that "those who can't teach," but I take issue with that. The best teachers I've had CAN and DO, and they articulate that, no matter how many times I (or my classmates) re-phrase the same question. I'd like to think I'm working my way towards that category of Teachers Who Can. That some day, one of my students will be able to say that my techniques/approaches impacted them in a powerful way that didn't include therapy. Meanwhile, I'm refining my teaching skills with an especially delightful group of painters on the western coast of Michigan. They are willing to try all sorts of things with their brushes during the day, and then in the evening, I retire to a Lake Michigan facing porch, sip my wine while listening to the tide, and forget about their tears. And ...