Paintings With Soul

I'm delighted to share that the above painting "Blackie," 18" x 14", acrylics on gallery wrapped canvas, one of my favorite pieces from the "Larger than Life" series (2002-2007), has found a wonderful forever home. Very warm thanks to my collector and Blackie's new Mom, who sent me her Christmas Wish List yesterday. I was more than happy to partner with "Santa" and get Blackie into her home just in time to enjoy the holidays! This afternoon I'm adding a few more paintings to my Etsy store - perhaps there's one (or two) that you could put on your list? Just let me know! or Santa, too. Thanks for looking at, and sharing, my artwork with your friends and family - Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com Timing is Everything Or so I've heard. Which means going forward you can expect to see the Painting a Dog a Day Newsletter hit your mailbox mid-day as opposed to in the wee hours. As in the past, newsletter subscribers (if th...

“Chesapeake Bay Retriever Study,” 6” x 12”, dog portrait in acrylic on canvasboard, $80. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . SOLD. This is a nice example of compliments – even though the blues and oranges are muted, they still play together well. I employed some very juicy brushwork on this one, waiting till I had the whole board covered, then using a stiff dry brush to blend my edges all together. After I was happy with the base this process created, I went in with gradually smaller brushes, leaving my “hashmarks” with stronger edges, and creating contrast. I like the relaxed feel of this one – the dog is content, and the light is soothing. Makes me want to go sit on a dock somewhere and dangle my toes in the water. Thanks, as always, for looking. And for sharing these paintings with your friends and family, Kim Kimberly Kelly Santini http://www.turtledovedesigns.com/ distinctive pet portraits & 4-legged paintings http://www.paintingadogaday.com/ come. sit. stay. enjoy...

It’s been a week of goldens! Today’s painting is of Madison, a golden retriever who was raised with the intention of becoming a PAWS with a Cause service dog, but ended up having too much drive. Today she is a search and rescue dog with the Michigan Search and Rescue Operations Team. It’s interesting to see the different moods in the last three paintings, all starring golden retrievers, all basically head studies, each painted with the same 4 colors (pthalo blue red, cad red dark, cad yellow dark and titanium white), yet every one of them with a distinctly different feel. This was a good exercise for me, proving that subject matter need not vary much to find creative variety and unique challenges. “Golden Retriever Study (Madison),” 6x12, acrylic dog portrait on canvasboard, $80. SOLD . Because Madison was a PAWS candidate, I am donating 25% of this portrait’s sale to PAWS with a Cause. I am also very excited to announce my newest dog-a-day project. The week of May 7th will be my inau...

Here is another portrait of a beautiful retriever mix. His coat is so luminous – it’s the softest golden yellow bleached as blonde as can be. The paint is applied in thick glazes on this painting, and the direction of the brushwork adds an element of depth to the piece – it alludes to the dog’s silky fur and creates tactile interest across the surface of the painting. “Sam,” 4x5, dog portrait in acrylic on canvasboard, $50. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . Don’t forget that commissioning your own dog-a-day is pretty basic! Review and choose a handful of photos that best represent your dog (kitties, horses, guinea pigs, bunnies – all furry things are welcome – except for hairy spiders!). Email the photos to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . Photos can be snail mailed to the studio at 346 N. Anderson, Lake Orion, MI 48362. I will send you a confirmation email with an anticipated date for your own personal dog-a-day. More information about photo selection and the entire proc...

I wanted to show the difference between one of my Dog-a-Days and a larger canvas, so today I painted a 4x5 version of a 14x18 painting which I hope to finish tomorrow. Keep in mind that you are viewing these paintings together on the monitor as though they are of equal sizes, but the scale is a big part of each of their impacts. In the smaller version I wanted color and gesture to carry the punch, so I amped up my reds and violets, and used looser brushwork. I also cropped in around one eye, including just a sliver of the other, to emphasize the dog’s movement. In the larger version (again, still in process, but very close to being done), I lost myself in that central eye (who says you can’t place your focal point in the center of the canvas?) and the layers of fur. I concentrated more attention (and detail) on the backlighting. And I got almost the entire face of the dog included in the painting, but again, used a crop to emphasize the swing of his head. Another trick I used in the la...

What I wouldn’t give for my own regular naptime. A cozy spot to curl up in a sliver of sun, and grab a quick powernap. Just the thought gives chills up and down my spine. Maybe I’ll get to grab a few minutes, if I disguise it as catching up on some of these magazines stacked here next to my desk….. But back to today’s painting. This is a golden mix, or maybe a blond cocker mix – and the painting is awash in oranges, yellows and pinks. Lots of relaxing warm colors to compliment to pose and yummy brushwork. “Siesta,” 4x8, acrylic on canvasboard painting, $60. All inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . SOLD. Thanks, as always, for looking. And for sharing these paintings with your friends and family, 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

Today’s dog is an old and wise golden retriever. Set against layers of green and khaki, the gold highlights glow softly. I also employed directional brushwork to suggest the feathering and layers of curls on his ears. “Golden Retriever Profile,” 5x7, acrylic on canvasboard, $60. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . SOLD. Thanks as always for looking. And for sharing these paintings with your friends and family! 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

"Gracie," 5x7, mixed breed (lab and weimereiner?) painting in acrylic on canvasboard. Not for sale. Thanks, as always, for looking, Kim Kim Kimberly Kelly Santini www.turtledovedesigns.com distinctive pet portraits & 4-legged paintings