Paintings With Soul

Wonderment, detail above, full painting below, 24" x 30", acrylics on panel, $899 plus s&h. Inquiries may come  to me . I spent today thinking about how children experience the world - everything is new, and much of it is magic. This little one showed up, I suppose to remind me to appreciate that. It's funny how my paintings give me a place to work through my deepest hurts as well as kisses to make things better.   Share Tweet Forward

Marjorie S, 24" x 48" x 1-1/2", acrylics on gallery wrapped canvas, painted around the sides, $1599 plus s&h. Inquiries may come   to me . I can't help but paint what stirs my heart. This past month, my heart has been stabbed. I am so afraid for our children. They have a right to FEEL safe in their classrooms. When a fire alarm went off in The Princess's high school - legitimately - two days after the latest school shooting, the students were terrified. Many opted to not leave their classrooms, fearing ambush. Parents and loved ones were phoned or texted while students comforted each other. Staff spent the remainder of the day listening - there was no further instruction.. No amount of safety drills or training can undo what's been allowed to happen in communities across the country. The answer is far more complex than eliminating automatic weapons or improved mental health care or arming faculty or even locking schools down. I am not offering up any ...

Carnelian, 24" x 30", acrylics or panel, $899 plus s&h. Inquiries may come   to me . Inspired by a handful of beautiful fossils in my rock collection, Carnelian is a symbol of strength and fortitude. I feel as though I could use an extra dose of that these days. #neverthelessshepersisted

Fossilized (Siren #17)," 24" x 30" x 1-1/2", acrylics on cradeled panel (image painted around sides), $999 plus s&h. Inquiries may come   to me . Somedays the news makes me feel as though humanity has lost every shred of compassion. Yesterday was one of those days. To say that my heart is breaking doesn't even cover the depth of sorrow I feel for our world and, particularly, for our children. Fossilized is my attempt to paint through the senselessness. Because painting is how I cope when the world seems heavy and cruel. Wishing you peace.

Ok, so I THOUGHT she was done, but now that I'm looking at her on screen, I see some things to adjust. Here is "Siren #15," 16" x 20", acrylics on panel, when finished this one will be $679 to the first asking nicely. Inquiries may come   to me . It was a rough day in the studio - started out wonderfully with   Vianna Szabo , who brought warm pastries over. But afterwards I could not find my groove. Ruined one painting completely, pushed another a decent ways towards it's death, and it looked like this fair lady was heading in the same direction. I persisted, got some good marks on this one and things started looking up.  And I thought she was done. But now that I'm looking at her, I'm no longer certain. Good thing tomorrow will be a new day!

From the top, "Surprise," 6x6x1-1/2"; Flemish Bun, 8x8x1-1/2"; and "Dotted Bun," 8x8x1-1/2. Each acrylic on a gallery stretched canvas, image painted around the sides so no need to frame. These will sit on their own or can be hung directly on the wall. The chick is $99 and the buns are each $149 to the first asking nicely. Inquiries may come   to me .

In front of "Rosie" (portrait of The Princess and not for sale), from left, "Pink Bunny," "Dotted Bun" and "Flemish Bun,"each 8"x8"x2", acrylics on gallery stretched canvas with image painted around the sides (so no need to frame). These will sit on their own or can be hung directly on the wall. Each is $149 to the first asking nicely. Inquiries may come   to me .

Kimberly Kelly Santini   paintings with soul because our world needs more beauty   "Oval Chick," 9" x 12", acrylics on gallery stretched canvas, oval, with painted sdes (so no need to frame). Because I am SO HAPPY we have sunshine today and the snow is melted (I might have just cursed us, so sorry Michigan) I'm going to let her go for $150 to the first asking nicely. Inquiries may come   to me . Share Tweet Forward

"O'Keefe," 12" x 14", acrylics on museum quality panel, $499 to the first asking nicely. Inquiries may come   to me . I needed to paint something silly and lighthearted, so O'Keefe, my hamster, became my muse. Originally I was going to have her flying (sort of siren-ish), but I couldn't pull it off. So instead I placed her firmly on the ground, sitting on an O'Keefe painting. Which was an absolute delight to create.

"Tragic," a Siren painting, 24" x 48", acrylics on panel, $1499 to the first asking nicely. Inquiries may come   to me . I used color to work through my tears today. I have no words. There are none. But there's so many feels. < > Wishing love, peace and strength to all who are hurting, today and always. I see you.

"Leap of Faith," a Siren painting, 24" x 30", acrylics on panel, $699 plus s&h to the first asking nicely. Inquiries may come   to me . The second generation of Sirens (you can see   the first ones here ) has me thinking about the challenges of life. I can't paint these things without first visualizing them, and therein lies the challenge, because we typically cannot "see" an individual's struggle. I've spent lots of time imagining fear, conflict, faith, hope, grace as I jump into these new paintings. I welcome your thoughts - is this one successful? what else would you like to see me tackle? Thanks so very much!

"Alice Honeybuns," 12" x 12" x 3/4", acrylics on cradeled birch panel, $529 plus s&h to the first asking nicely. Inquiries may come to me - ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . I love the story of Alice in Wonderland, especially the conflict between reality/dream/imagination that some feel they should debate. To me, the answer to that doesn't matter in the least. It's a delightfully imaginative story. What I have been thinking about, though, is what emotions Alice might have been feeling as the story unwound. I chose to paint her this time as a precocious and curious girl, stepping into the story with her stuffed bunny (The Velveteen Rabbit is another love of mine). There's more Alice's in the works - I have 4 of these little panels and plan to make a series of them. Finally, many thanks to those of you who wished me well last week. I don't usually get sick, and dang, this flu was some serious stuff. I am slowly returning to reality...

I've been rather obsessively painting these girls, my Sirens, for 4 months now. Collectively, they line my studio walls, keeping me company, chatting away to each other. We have serious conversations about what color compassion is, how deeply would one's feet sink into clouds, and if it is wrong to consume an entire bag of Hostess chocolate donuts in one sitting. I would jump back and forth from painting to painting (there's over 40 of them now), making adjustments and revisions as I discovered, or rather, understood, what needed to be changed. And now it's time to share the first generation of Sirens with you. There's 17 in this round, each distinctively carrying their own message. More remain in my studio, inspiring new girls and continuing our daily chats. They are each pillars of strength, courage, compassion and dignity. Unapologetically feminine and fierce, they live inside us, some more loudly than others, enveloping our own insecurities with th...

"Alice," 24" x 48", acrylics on panel, $1499 plus s&h to the first asking nicely. Detail below. Inquiries may come   to me . (yes, I would be delighted to put together a payment plan for you - please ask!) I actually signed a painting today! Not that I haven't been painting, mind you, but only a small handful of my girls are truly finished. Even though I've been working on them since September..... Alice is an homage to Alice in Wonderland (one of my favorites!). I imagine this is what exiting the rabbit hole first looked like. And then the mist cleared......  

(2) in process Siren paintings, each 24" x 48", acrylics on panel Inquiries may come   to me . I'm figuring things out through all sorts of trial and error. My figures must be rooted in the atmosphere of their painting(s). Their movement and gesture are key. Color harmony is all the more elemental given the simplified compositions. Drawn line vs modeled form fascinates me (via the computer you cannot see the delicate drawings woven into the layers of paint). The vertical format highlights the power and strength of these figures. I absolutely love my job.

Tiny Dancer I, 24" x 48", acrylics on panel, $1499 plus s&h. Inquiries may come   to me . I have no idea what I'm doing in the studio anymore. I mean, I know I am painting, and obviously I'm painting figures, but other than that, it's a crap shot. I start with a certain idea in my head, like a little girl in a white tutu, and the rest of the composition reveals itself as I go along. This is entirely different than painting portraits and working directly with clients who expect a certain thing. When I'm painting a commission, the end result is predetermined and my progress (including knowing when the piece is done) is measurable. With my girls, it's not so obvious. I take them so far, and then wait to see what they have to say about it. Often it takes weeks before I realize, aha!, there isn't enough contrast/my color is too saturated/the ground and figure need to be more fully integrated/something else altogether. I'm learning to be ok ...

Davinci Study, 9" x 12", acrylics on panel, $399 plus s&h. Inquiries may come   to me . This is Vinnie taking advantage of the sunshine today. And who can blame him? It's natural for an artist's work to evolve, and I am no exception. The discoveries I have made the past few months have my head spinning. I credit much of what I've recently learned to several mentors/teachers I've had the pleasure of working with -   Lynn Whipple ,   Stanka Kordic and   Ardith Goodwin . They've introduced joy, passion, mystery, intuition and a deeper understanding of why I create. Other than holiday commissions, for the past 4 months I've been focused on figurative imagery, specifically using the feminine form as a platform for painting an emotional response to our crazy world. It's not always an easy space to sit inside as our world seems full of divisiveness and cruelty as of late. Yet it is something I feel deeply inside myself that I must do in ...

Finnigan, singing Auld Lang Syne. He was a bit off key. At 14, his hearing's not what it used to be. This is the first time EVER that I've taken a break between the holidays and mostly unplugged. I cannot tell you what a surprising gift that was - my head is clear and my energy levels are replenished, at least for the moment. And best of all are the memories of time spent with family and friends the past weeks. My wish for each of you is lots of the same - special times spent with special hearts. Each day is a gift - let's make the most of those we have left! In that vein, I invite you to take a peek at my   class and workshop schedule   - the next 6 months have been published on my website. Space is limited - my studio will hold a handful of students in an intimately delightful setting - so please   reach out   if you are interested. There's monthly art journaling groups, basic painting instruction, and a year long mentoring program. If nothing on the calendar m...

Kimberly Kelly Santini   paintings with soul because our world needs more beauty   "Scales," 20" x 30" x 1",( Santa hat is not in the original painting), acrylics on gallery stretched canvas with the image painted around the sides.   Email me  if you are interested. I'm not sure this one is finished - I need to sleep on it and see her with fresh eyes. She's one of 6 new girls that were born today. It was an incredibly productive day in the studio. And it was my last full day painting until after the holiday. May those of you who celebrate be surrounded with love and laughter. May those of you who don't celebrate also find yourselves in a cocoon of joy. That's where I will be, with family and friends, making memories and telling stories. Lots of love to you all!!   Share Tweet Forward

Kimberly Kelly Santini   paintings with soul because our world needs more beauty   "Royalty," 9" x 12", acrylics on museum quality panel, depicting a Maine Coone in all her glory. Special holiday pricing is $459 plus s&h (original price $519).   Email me . Additionally, all pet portrait gift certificates purchased through December 23rd of this year will be discounted 10%. Gift certificates allow the recipient to be a part of the portrait process, selecting photos and sharing stories of their four legged family members. Prices start at $399 -   reach out to me   for details.   Share Tweet Forward It's our last day of twelve. Over the past few weeks, I've offered special pricing on paintings that would make most excellent gifts (see links below). They are one-of-a-kind originals, and once they are gone, they are gone - so please, if you are interested in something, let ...