Paintings With Soul

"Harry," a painted sketch, roughly 4" x 5" centered on a 9" x 12" mixed media paper, acrylics, private collection (THANK YOU!). As always, inquires may always come directly  to me .  As if it's not enough pressure, having to paint something pretty much every day AND share it via my email blast and blog, tomorrow I have raised the bar on myself. Yes, I am a glutton for punishment. I will be joined in the studio by a videographer. Her assignment? To film the creation, start to finish, of a painting. God I hope I sleep tonite. Nobody wants to see me with major bags under my eyes, all crabbing out at the easel, because I can't make the paint go where it's supposed to. Let's hope things don't play out that way! Thanks, as always, for following along with my artwork! Warmly, Kim   ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

"Meg," 6"x8", acrylics on museum quality panel, a commissioned portrait of a little Maltese who is loving her second chance at life, private collection (THANK YOU!).  And but of course I can paint like this for you - just ask! . Meg was adopted into her new home last fall. She joined two older brothers, and didn't take long at all to leave her pawprint on her new Mom's heart. Who knows what her previous circumstances were? She is timid and remains fearful of men, but she knows how to snuggle and love on those who are kind. And that's pretty much how the rest of her life is going to play out! Thanks, as always, for following along with my artwork, Kim

    "Emma," 5" x 7", commissioned portrait of the cutest terrier ever, acrylics on museum quality panel, private collection (THANK YOU!!!).   I can absolutely paint your dog (or cat or horse or bunny or guinea pig) - inquiries may come  to me !   Commissioned portraits start at $209, and are one of the best ways ever to commemorate your relationship with a beloved pet. Gift certificates available, too, so that the recipient can be involved in the process of choosing reference materials and building the composition.   (Ahem, Father's Day is coming up, hint hint)   Thanks so much for following along with my artwork! Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com   PS  Those of you who have painted with me in the past - do you see how Emma is "White-ish"? there isn't a speck of pure white pigment on her - everything is relative!!

  "Steffi," 5" x 7", commissioned portrait of a much loved and dearly missed Westie, acrylics on museum quality panel, private collection (THANK YOU!!). Inquiries may always come   to me .     Who would have thought the ratty doll I picked up at a flea market would elicit such great conversation?!   Does art HAVE to be comfortable or easy to look at?   Why are dolls creepy for so many and yet for others the keystone to a sentimental memory?   How does scale impact our comfort zone with respect to certain objects?   And most importantly, is she an evil talisman or just a sweet little thing?   Please chime in!   And she needs a title, too. I'm drawing a complete and total blank. She must be sucking my brains out in my sleep......   Thanks so much for following along with my artwork! Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com   This poster was created specif...

  ORDER NOTECARDS AND REPRODUCTIONS HERE     "Gigi," 10" x 10", portrait of a fluff ball, done in acrylics on a museum quality panel, my gift to Gigi's Mom for playing along with the Dog a Day Valentine's Giveaway.   Over 100 faces were submitted for consideration this year and it was difficult to narrow them down. I choose  22 finalists , but honestly didn't know until the absolute last possible minute who I was going to paint. And how I wish I could have painted each of them.   And I chose Gigi because she seemed to be overflowing with love, today's theme.   Happy Valentines Day from all the Santinis, Kim   ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com   PS  In process pictures are on  the studio's Facebook page .  

    "Chester," a painted sketch, approximately 4" x 5" roughly centered on a 9" x 12" paper, done in acrylics, depicting a mixed breed dog, private collection (THANK YOU!).   Chester is a gift, so if you recognize him, help me keep the secret, ok?   I will be phasing these sketches out by year's end - lately they have been taking nearly as much time to complete as a panel painting and are far more laborious to pack and ship. So if you are interested, please  speak up now  and we can get it scheduled.   Thanks, as always, for supporting and following along with my artwork!   Hoping tomorrow brings along my wit's end, because today I think I lost it - Kim  ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

  "Parker," 8" square, commissioned portrait of a Maltese, acrylic on museum quality panel, private collection (THANK YOU!)   Inquiries may always come  to me  - the original has a home, but I can arrange for you to order notecards or reproductions of Parker's painting, or we can even talk about my painting something equally wonderful for your own walls.       Parker's recently left us, but his portrait will stand as a good starting point for remembering years of loyal companionship. It was an honor to have him as a guest in the studio today.    Thanks, as always, for following along with my artwork, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com   Did You Know This is Puppy Mill Action Week?   I've painted dozens of faces that hailed from puppy mills and heard harrowing stories from rescue groups who lovingly take these dogs in, addres...

"Tsiko's Eyes," 5" x 7", portrait of a rescued Husky mix, the latest addition to my "Black and White" series of paintings. This painting was done in Golden Open acrylics on an Ampersand Gessobord and could be yours for $289. Inquiries may always come to me . SOLD (thank you!) Tsiko (pronounced See-ko) is an Isabella white husky, estimated to be about 5 years old, and he was adopted from the humane society. He was found by animal control wandering at age 3 months - why anyone would let a 12 week old pup out and not try to find them is beyond me. But his family knows they lucked out! And perhaps Tsiko got lucky too - he escorts the kids to the busstop, baseball and soccer games and even vacations with them. He takes his job as family dog very seriously. The "Black and White" paintings depict animals that are black or white or black and white. But the painted versions are anything but black and white. This series allows me the opportunity...