Paintings With Soul

"Violet," 18" x 24", acrylics on panel, from the Beribboned series. Available to the  first asking nicely , $799 (includes s&h inside the US). Thank you so much. The Princess's gentle lionhead bunny modeled for this painting. Everyone in our family, even the four legged members, has to earn their keep! Thanks for supporting my art, Warmly, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com   

"Sweet Pea," 16" x 20", acrylics on panel, featuring a teeny tiny baby bunny (lionhead? angora?) with the sweetest little white nose, nestled in a mass of sweet peas. This piece has less detail than the others I've been doing, and I rather like the sketchiness of it - consequently, the price reflects this as well. $599 will get Sweet Pea delivered to your door (inside the US). Inquiries may come to me. SOLD (thank you so much!) I've been working on this one since Sunday, picking her up when the larger pieces need some time to dry. Overall, I've got about a dozen different works in various stages in the studio right now. It's a wild menagerie!

"William," 9" x 12" oval, gallery wrapped canvas (and the image is painted/wrapped around all edges ), acrylics and metallics, $549 to the first asking nicely. Inquiries may always come to me . There's still time to gift original art - I have the toy paintings for $75 , a few intimately sized pieces under $100 , ink and paint pieces for $149 , and lots of larger works. $50 (or less) can get you a cell phone case, notecards, tote bags or reproductions. And there's always gift certificates - message me for those details. Nothing says "I love you" like a creative and unique gift. Thanks for your interest in my artwork, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com  

"Lionhead," image roughly 6" x 6" on a 9" x 12" foamcore mounted multimedia artboard, ink and acrylics, inspired by The Princess's pet bunny Dorit, $149.  Email me if you would like this rabbit for your own - and thank you so much for your interest! Also, if you are not familiar with Lionhead rabbits, you need to be.  Check them out here and here . And try not to fall in love. Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com 

"Dorrit," 9" x 12", ink and acrylics on sketch paper, depicting our lionhead bunny. This piece will go to the first one offering $100 - with the added bonus of getting a house bunny who doesn't need a litter box! As always, inquires may always come directly to me .   SOLD (thank you!) Chasing Rabbits That's the phrase Carla Sonheim uses to describe active play. The homework she assigned us this week is to actively play with our supplies. Ahh, yeah, I can SO do that! (and feel like I kinda did yesterday when playing around with the background to Dreamer ).  Ever since the bunny took up residence inside the house (to avoid the polar vortex), I've been itching to sketch her. Which I finally did today. AFTER I blocked in a new commissioned portrait. This is a single lined contour drawing, laid down in pencil first, then embellished with a little paint, then inked. I'm calling these Contour Doodles. They are grand f...

Day One of any workshop involves a demo-while-I'm-talking-performance. It can be hit or miss, and I'm sort of at the mercy of my muse and the space and my students. Today I was not disappointed by any of the above. I talked about building a composition, editing the reference to match one's idea, consciously choosing a color scheme, and building layered, gestural brushwork. "Floating Dorit," roughly centered on an 11" x 14" bristol board, done in acrylics, $200. Inquiries may come to me . That's the name of my 2 day intensive workshop. In 2 days we focus on how to see color with fresh eyes and how to translate what we see into juicy, gestural marks. It's a good time, as long as you have your running shoes on and are well rested. Lots of photos are being shared on my Facebook page . And information on future workshops is always here . Thanks so much for supporting my artwork, Kim

"Sun Bun (Bun II)," 8" square, acrylics on museum quality panel depicting Mr. Bun, a Lionhead Rabbit. Proceeds from the sale of this painting will help homeless buns - he's $399 to the first asking nicely. SOLD VIEW IN PROCESS PHOTOS I painted Bun again today (here's his first portrait ) - he's such a good little model! Next week we'll change things up a bit - it's Derby Week, and keeping with tradition, I'll paint horses each day. But meanwhile I'm off for a weekend of dance. In between numbers, I'll be doodling in the dressing room, making plans for new paintings. Thanks, as always, for following along with my artwork, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com 

Bun, 6" x 8", acrylics on museum quality panel depicting Bun, a little Lionhead bunny who's accomplishing great things (read below), $329 to the first asking nicely. Proceeds from the sale of Bun's portrait (and reproductions and cell phone cases ) will benefit bunny rescue. A call for bunny muses introduced me to this little guy. I was drawn immediately to his velvety color, deep fur and sweet demeanor. Then I got to know his Mom and fell in love with his family and their mission - Bun as the face for responsible pet ownership. You, too, can become a Bun fan here . Here's a little video of the painting in process .  Thanks, as always, for following along with my artwork, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com  ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS................. It was a shock this summer when I realized how much I've come to love neutral colors. Still working with a limited palette - titanium white, pthalo blu...