Paintings With Soul

  Star, 16"x20", acrylic on panel, $900 plus s&h to the first asking politely. You can make Star your own   right here .   Inquiries are always welcome .  every year I asked Santa for a pony.     I got books, model horses, subscriptions to horse magazines, but never my own horse. It's still not happened (I do realize now that I could make it happen were I willing to give up studio time. Also, sometimes a dream exists in order to help us manifest something else we don't even yet know how to articulate). See that pony who never materialized did contribute to where I am now. Little Kim I drew an entire stable of horses with which she papered her bedroom walls. And I continue to paint horses - each new piece is a sliver of what I imagine owning a real horse would be like. And somehow I've now owned literally hundreds of them. The latest, Star, literally has starlight leaking out of her markings (maybe she's a unicorn in disguise with a horn of lig...

Little Horse (Constellation).  11" x 14", acrylics on panel, $529 to the first asking nicely. Inquiries may always come to   me . It would be impossible to fear the dark if the stars truly looked like these.

Do not go gentle into that good night (title courtesy of Dylan Thomas).  14" x 18", acrylics on museum quality panel, $599 to the first asking nicely. Inquiries may always come to   me . My recent work is resonating with so many - thank you for your notes and encouragement. Baring my soul in paint makes me feel vulnerable and terrified. It is so much safer (emotionally) to stick with pet portraiture. And yet I have much to share from my very core. I'm steadily working my way there.

The black horse is a uniquely powerful amulet. 24" x 20", acrylics on panel, sold (thank you!). Inquiries may come to me. I was asked to paint a black horse, and somewhere along the way I was seduced by her magic. It's not the first time she's done this - Shadow was destined for another fate altogether when her current owner bought her from a kill pen. And as often happens with rescued animals, they reciprocate by rescuing their new owners.

"Dont-Give-A-Care Bear," 16" x 20", mixed media on museum quality panel, a continuation of my  Year of the Spark  studies. At first I thought I could part with this one, but really, I can't. So, next best thing, it is uploaded on  FineArtAmerica . I think Bear is a fine companion to  Under a Van Gogh Sk y, and together they would look fantastic in a playroom. Inquiries can always  come to me , and thank you so much.  I thought the  Year of the Spark  class would renew my passion for painting. I never expected it to push me into entirely new directions. And yet, here I am, creating work I'd not even imagined a few short weeks ago.   These "totem paintings" (so named because the central figure seems imbued with a symbolic presence) were seedlings in the winter, with contours done on clear plastic layered overtop other drawings. A dialogue started between the objects and stories formed that stretched beyond the ...

"Frolic", 12" x 16", acrylics on museum quality panel, depicting a foal (photo reference courtesy of PaintMyPhoto.ning.com ) stretching her legs. Further exploration of edges and blending courtesy of inspiration from studies with  Stanka Kordic . This painting, this little one, she need a home. $959 will bring her to your doorstep (inside the contiguous US) - inquire directly to moi , with in process photos  here . More Gut Listening Pursuant to Puff Ball's painting on Monday , I bring you Frolic. Painted mostly with a wedge and my fingers, with a conscious effort to lose edges, and a focus on super fun color. And size - if you haven't noticed, I've been painting larger lately, too - and this one carries some moderate texture. I'm liking this approach. A lot. It's a new way of capturing energy and motion, all the while allowing me to also dabble with the abstract qualities of the composition. What do you thi...

View More Sketching Photos "Big Vinnie," approximately 4" x 5" roughly centered on a 9" x 12" paper, done in acrylics, depicting one of the kindest equine eyes ever, private collection (THANK YOU!). This is what I call a "painted sketch." It's an unrealistic expectation to plan on hanging every single creation of yours over the couch. Sketch, draw, play - keep things loose and happy. Experiment and mess up and, yes, throw things away too. It's all part of learning. Thanks, as always, for following along with my artwork, Kim

"Big Red," 12" x 12", acrylics on museum quality panel, depicting a retired Thoroughbred from Old Friends at Cabin Creek in upstate New York. This painting is available for $599 to the first one asking nicely, and proceeds will benefit the Old Friends. VIEW IN PROCESS PHOTOS SOLD (thank you!) Last summer I visited Old Friends Cabin Creek  and learned about their mission firsthand - providing dignified retirement for racehorses. The farm is staffed entirely with volunteers.  It was moving to hear the stories of their residents, and every single horse appeared happy, healthy, and well loved. I took many photos but very poor notes, and cannot figure out who this fellow is. Maybe the folks at Cabin Creek can tell me? Meanwhile, I asked for title suggestions - they are  here .  Thanks as always for following along with my artwork, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com