Paintings With Soul

      "Sunshine," 6" square, acrylics on museum quality panel, depicting a Pomeranian with a large and sunny personality, private collection (THANK YOU!).   There are a couple of in process pics of Sunshine  here  on the studio's Facebook page.   Inquiries are welcomed - shoot an email  in my direction .     It is still bitterly cold here. Many of you asked yesterday where "here" was - I'm in Michigan, mid-Thumb area. And regretting ever leaving Southern California (we moved 15 years ago this month).   Hoping all remain warm today, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com  

      "Pom Pride," 6" square, acrylics on a museum quality panel, portrait of a Pomeranian, $299 to the first one  asking nicely .   Just as whites are not truely white, blacks are not truly black. At least not in my world! Inspired by a sassy little guy I met in Frankenmuth Michigan over the summer.    In process views of "Pride" were shared on the  studio Facebook page . You can find them inside  the Mobile Uploads folder . And by the way, you do not need to have a Facebook account to view either of those links.   I'd love to talk about creating spectacular original art for you -  email me  and we can talk.   Fondly, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

  "Hardley A. Hadley!!" 6" square, acrylic on museum quality panel, depicting a dapper and delightful Pomeranian. This painting is a commissioned portrait and will be headed to his new home shortly (and is ALSO a gift, so shush please!!) - however,  let me know  if you want one for yourself!!   It's been an exhausting - but fun - week. Between daily 8 hour Marching Band practices that required dinner deliveries, daily football practices and 3 games (with the varsity team playing tomorrow on the Detroit Lions home field), and choreography week for the dance team (also complete with meal deliveries), I've enjoyed total immersion in each of my kids' activites.   And now we are headed into a long weekend that will be packed with family time and, despite complaints, earlier, back-to-school preparatory curfews.   How can the summer be over with? Didn't we just start this?   Kim, who's not really counting, but noticed ...

"Pom Cloud," 6" square, Pomeranian pet portrait in acrylic on canvasboard, $249 to the first taker. Inquiries may always come to me . I was so crabby when I came into the studio tonite, and I spent a good amount of time searching for an appropriatly grouchy face to paint, all to no avail. Surprisingly (to me), I settled on this little one, a Pomeranian from the 2007 Lake Orion Dog Days event. Just looking at the series of photos I took of her floating at the end of her leash made me feel better. Tomorrow I will have a rare quiet afternoon in the studio. I plan to get through this big ole' mess of emails requiring responses, and also do some serious editing on Volume Two of the Painting a Dog a Day book, which isn't nearly as far along as it should be. I think both tasks will be accompanied by healthy servings of freshly baked zucchini bread. For those of you who are looking for something to do this weekend, I'll be sketching pet portraits at Addison Oaks C...

This one's an oldie but a goodie. "Great Expectations," from  May 25th, 2007 (the first year of Painting a Dog a Day), painting 6" x 6" finished to a perfect 12" square, depicting a Pomeranian dog, exquisitely framed, $349. Inquiries may come to me .   This little gem has made her rounds to a number of juried exhibitions, winning hearts and awards across the state of Michigan. She's now back in the studio and looking for a new home - will it be yours?   I spent today finishing up another painting for the Amsale Gessesse Memorial Foundation (am awaiting approval on the image before I share). I also continued work on a new exhibition piece for an art show devoted to automobiles - of course my entries revolve around dogs and their love of car rides.   Tomorrow will be spent finalizing my newest painting (working title "Backseat Drivers") and editing the studio newsletter, which should have been completed before school let out. J...

Today you get a double header. “Scrappy,” duly named pomeranian-pekenese-tibetian spaniel mix, 4x5, commissioned pet portrait in acrylic on canvasboard, private collection (THANK YOU!!) “Bobby,” shepherd mixed breed, 6x8, commissioned pet portrait in acrylic on canvasboard, private collection (THANK YOU!). The paint has been flowing easily today. Perhaps it’s the sunshine, so atypical of September in Michigan. Perhaps it’s the autumn color just starting to kiss the trees. Pehaps it’s the promise of a great weekend – Metamora’s Celebration of the Horse, and my Group Opening at Margot’s Gallery. Whatever it is, I like it. Hope you enjoy each of these paintings. I’m sort of in training for the holidays, when I’ve double booked the dog-a-days simply to meet the demand. I won’t always be posting each painting (some surprises might be ruined, and I also know that two paintings each day will fill some readers’ mailboxes too quickly), and I will try to squeeze in more non-commissioned pieces, ...

“Cowboy,” 6” x 8”, commissioned Pomeranian pet portrait in acrylic on canvasboard, private collection (thank you!). Proceeds from the sale of Cowboy’s portrait will be donated to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary (I believe our BFAS tab is currently somewhere around $100, after just one week!). Doing this whole dog-a-day thing is incredibly fun, but it can also be a bit sobering. I had every intention of painting Cowboy earlier in the day, but one thing happened after another, and before I knew it, I was in the throes of preparing a dinner party. You see, my favorite aunt and uncle are in town, and it was our turn to entertain. Nothing fancy – just wiffle ball with the kids, some bar-b-qued ribs, a nice bottle of wine and apple pie a la mode. Of course, there was the high point, when the kids drug out a so-called Elvis Presley signature they found months ago in the attic of my brother’s house, and Uncle George had them going for a bit, thinking the autograph was worth a couple of bills. It...

ARTIST'S NOTE Oct 8th, 2007: This painting has been beautifully mounted and framed to a perfect 12" square. It is available for purchase directly from the artist. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . “Great Expectations (Pomeranian Study),” 6” square, Pomeranian portrait in acrylic on canvasboard. Today I played hookey from the studio and pretended to be a housewife for a bit. Did the grocery thing, some laundry, even picked up and did a little cleaning. But as soon as the kids all got tucked into bed, I ducked into the studio for a little of what I fondly refer to as my “mental health time.” I got some Rossini going on the ipod, and laid out my palette with some new colors. I’d been talking to a number of artists who relied on yellow ochre instead of cadmium yellow, so I figured I would give it a try. Often when there’s little room or time for experimentation, that’s the best opportunity to take chances. I wouldn’t have the luxury of many second guesses tonight. I c...

“Pom Pup,” 5x7, acrylic Pomeranian portrait on canvasboard, $60. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . SOLD. I had never seen a black Pomeranian until this last weekend. This tiny little lady was a doll, all fur and bright eyes. Again, like yesterday’s painting, today’s is a study in blue and orange compliments. The blues are much grayer, and so are the oranges. But they have the same effect – they amp each other’s saturation. I’d like to thank returning collector Nancy Gutelius for purchasing Monday’s white cat painting. Thanks are also in store for the Giampa family, who bought yesterday’s Chesapeake Bay Retriever piece. You are welcome to jump into the dog-a-day project yourselves – just send digital photos to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . I’ll acknowledge receipt and let you know when to expect to see that familiar face on the dog-a-day pages. Thanks as always for looking. And for sharing these paintings with friends and family, Kim Kimberly Kelly Santini http://www.tu...

I love the attitude inherent in little dogs. They are just so full of vinegar. This little guy won’t budge an inch, even though his rheumy eyes are a little clouded with cataracts. He’s used to powering his way around, despite his size. “Pomeranian Study,” 4x6, acrylic dog painting on canvasboard, $50. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . SOLD. Thanks, as always, for looking. And for sharing these paintings with friends and family. Stay warm and dry tonite – it’s nasty cold and miserable around these parts, 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