Paintings With Soul

"Majia," 20" x 24" x 1-1/2", acrylics on cradeled panel, commissioned portrait, private collection (thank you very much). This photo is a little washed out at the top, but the sun is streaming into the studio (and keeping the camera from behaving properly), so I won't complain! I accept a limited number of commissioned projects; I work with your photos to create original imagery that will provide a lifetime of enjoyment. Inquiries may come   to me . Isn't Majia marvelous? The sort of horse that dreams are made of...... but she's for real, and my collector adores her. It was a special honor to paint Majia, as my client is also an artist. These sorts of projects are both validating and intimidating. Thanks, as always, for following along with my art journey, Warmly, Kim

"PJ," painted sketch, image roughly 6-1/2" x 5" on a 9" x 12" page, commissioned portrait of a lovely dark equine. If PJ looks familiar, that's because I painted him a couple weeks ago, and this sketch was an add-on to the project. Thusly it is sold. However, if you would like something similar, I offer a limited number of painted sketches each year, and inquiries may always come my way  - I can add you to a waiting list. Packing My Bags I know I just got back into town, but I'm hitting the road again. This time it'll be a quick trip north to Traverse City, where I will be painting for 2 days with my hero Lisa Daria Kennedy. You probably best know her for her daily paintings , but I am equally mesmerized by her larger paintings . She has a strong sense of design and uses saturated color masterfully. There's also a great economy of brushwork in her paintings, and I am eager to learn how she manages that. As...

"Steam," 9" x 12", acrylics on panel depicting a lovely and powerful Warmblood (horse) galloping in the snow. This painting needs a home - it's only $539, which includes special delivery to your doorstep (inside the contiguous US). Inquiries may come directly to me . In process photos  here (thank you for peeking!).   Is Spring FINALLY Here? Today's temperature was in the 80s (nearly 40 degrees warmer than a week ago!), so it seemed safe enough to paint some snow. If Michigan gets some freakishly cole weather tonite and tomorrow, I will totally take the blame.   This concept appealed to me because of the steam blowing across the dark body. And then, once I started it really really big, I struggled with the extreme value shifts - darkest darks and lightest lights - and couldn't get things to work. I fought with the painting for the better half of Friday and then threw in the towel.   I looked at the hot mess of a painting...

"Chestnut" 24" x 12", acrylics on a museum quality panel, depicting a chestnut mare with a little bit of flash. And some glare on the far right - my apologies - with the glossy ground, this is a very difficult piece to photograph, and I'll have to get her done professionally! This painting can be yours for $1499, which includes s&h inside the US. There's a mess of in process photos  here, including detail shots. Inquiries may come directly to me .  This piece is my new all time favorite. Here's why. The color is a bit flatter in this photograph than it is in person. This painting is vibrant and delicious! That dark ground? It's really a sea of blue to green. And those pinks in her shoulder? I teared up a little over them. Yeah, I'm a color geek. The movement is true. I can feel her stepping forward, I can see the sun glistening off her muscles, and I can hear her feet hit the ground. The brushwork looks tigh...

"Chestnut" 24" x 12", acrylics on a museum quality panel, depicting a chestnut mare with a little bit of flash. This painting can be yours for $1499, which includes s&h inside the US. There's a mess of in process photos   here, including some detail shots. Inquires may come directly to me .  You may have noticed I'm sharing more in process paintings lately. This is because I have made a conscious choice to work in a larger scale, and that means I can't always finish a painting in one day. This is an important piece of my growth as an artist, but I know it's not nearly as fun to see unfinished works all the time, too. Please bear with me as I work through some kinks and figure out the best way to handle this. Would you rather I posted less frequently, but only shared completed works? or do you prefer the regular updates, even if some of the paintings are unresolved? Thanks for weighing in! And thanks, as alwa...

Meet Gratziana, a Belgian Warmblood filly who’s portrait I get to paint. (Sometimes I have to pinch myself – this isn’t a Real Job, is it?!) As always, in preparation for larger paintings, I do several smaller studies to work out a few ideas in advance. And even though Ahna’s painting isn’t scheduled until later this summer, Derby Week’s daily horses gave me an excuse to dip into her reference photos. She was a mere 7 weeks old when the photos that inspired this study were taken, but doesn’t she look all dolled up with her braids and silver trappings? I told my client that Ahna looks just like a little girl in lipstick and high heels. “All Dolled Up (Ahna),” 8’x8”, equine portrait in acrylic on canvasboard, $80. SOLD. Thanks as always for looking. And for sharing these paintings with 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...