Paintings With Soul

Imaginary Wings (Medicine Hat #17), 20" x 30" x 1-1/2", acrylics on gallery wrap canvas with the image painted around the sides, so there is no need to frame. This one is not currently for sale, but you are always welcome to reach out   to me   with inquiries Our imaginations - our ability to build stories in new and fascinating ways - it's a rather remarkable thing. My imagination was an escape hatch for a good chunk of my life. I still spend more time there than in the real world, not as a retreat, but for restoration and delight. And when I see children lost in their own worlds, I often wonder what their inner dialogue is, and I write something on the spot, in my head. That's what happened with this draft mare. She's sailing through the sky, marveling at the geography unfolding far beneath her hooves. Thanks, as always, for following along with my art journey, Warmly, Kim

Above, a stack of commissioned portraits ready to ship to   Bozzuto Greene Art   near Baltimore. Typically this newsletter is about showcasing my artwork while I talk about the process of creating. That's the best part of my job, getting to make the imagery that resonates with so many of you. But that's not all that I do. There is this romanticized version of how artists live their lives that I sometimes need to dispel. Because as much as I'd like it to be all about long lunches in sidewalk cafes and late nights discussing the merits of what I create with like minds, it's a bit grittier and tedious. Here's what my last week looked like: one exhibition opening, for which I baked lovely   tahini caramel brownies   6 hours of teaching/instruction done in person and via Facetime with students as far flung as Switzerland (yes, I offer   long-distance mentoring ) varnishing, framing, wrapping and shipping 7 paintings to 2 galleries an...

"Made of Starlight (Medicine Hat #16)," 18" x 24" x 1", acrylics on gallery wrapped canvas, image painted around the edges, so no need to frame. $899 plus s&h, m essage me   for more details. Yes, that is copper paint reflecting the studio lights on the horse's shoulder, and yes, that is a silvery haze around her face. Because starlight sparkles. Just like you. Thanks, as always, for following along with my art journey, Warmly, Kim

At tippy top, full image, immediately above, detail. "Wild & Precious (Medicine Hat #15)," 20" x 30" x 1-1/2", acrylics on gallery wrapped canvas, image painted around the edges, so no need to frame. $1299 plus s&h, m essage me   for more details.  This piece took some serious turns today, particularly after a critique with   Vianna Szabo (followers of my blog will know that I worship this woman and all that comes off her easel and out of her mouth). We had tea and bearclaws together this morning, and she reminded me that artists work with the same materials, And the same ideas of value, edges, color and application. Now let me tell you that up until that point, I was so in love with this painting. But then it hit me - this particular painting was mostly about paint application. I got so caught up in the joy of laying the marks down that I forget to assess the balance of values, control my edges to drive the focal point, and push...

In Process: "Medicine Hat #15," 20" x 30" x 1-1/2", acrylics on gallery wrapped canvas, image painted around the edges. This painting is all about Mary Oliver, as I think how connected she was to the heart of the universe. And it's difficult to properly photo here in the studio, with swaths of metallics reflecting the lights.  Message me   for more details. How lucky am I, to have spent today doing what I love, making beauty, surrounded by my family? I hope that you were able to do the same - spend your day with your own passions and with your loved ones. Thanks, as always, for following along with my art journey,

In Process: "Blue, version 2.0," 16" x 20", acrylics on panel. Collection of moi. However I will make prints available when he's finished, so   let me know   if you are interested in being notified when that happens. I painted our little boy  Blue   once before, and   that one   is currently hanging in The Gold Show at The Anton Art Center in Mt. Clemens   (the exhibition opening is this Saturday, from 2-4, if you are interested).  Meanwhile, this is a similar pose but a different approach, lighter hearted and a bit more playful, just like Blue himself. I am considering sending this version to a juried exhibition as well, but if I do, he must be for sale. I'm not sure if I can do that and risk him not coming home. I suppose we shall see as the entry deadline draws closer if I feel any differently. Meanwhile, yes, I can do something similar to this starring your four legged soulmate. Commissioned portraits in this style start at...

Kimberly Kelly Santini   paintings with soul because our world needs more beauty   "The Spell She Casts (Medicine Hat #13)," 16" x 20" x 1", acrylics on gallery wrapped canvas, image painted around the side, so no need to frame unless you wish. And yes, that glow you see in the image is gold paint reflecting the light - this piece will move and shimmer as you pass by. She is $649 plus s&h to the first one asking nicely. Inquire directly   to me   - I accept personal checks, paypal, venmo and will arrange payment plans. This Medicine Hat painting is number 13, so of course that association alone had me thinking about magic. If you love the company of equines, you know first hand the spells they cast. And that their magic lingers long after they have left. Thanks, as always, for following along with my art journey, Warmly, Kim

"Heaven Hold Us (Medicine Hat #12)," 20" x 24" x 1-1/2", acrylics on museum quality cradeled panel with image painted around the side, so no need to frame unless you wish. This original painting is $999 plus s&h to the first one asking nicely. Inquire directly   to me   - I take personal checks, paypal, venmo and will arrange payment plans. The Medicine Hat paintings   began as an exploration of what horses have meant to me over my lifetime. I figured out all along that they - horses - have been a safety net for my love. They don't judge or expect anything in return or withhold their attention. And I felt worthy when in their presence. Whether I was imagining it while making art/reading stories/watching horse races or simply blessed to actually be in their company. The last couple days I was blessed to be in this one's company. She has provided a lovely escape from the snow and ice and winds howling about outside....

Above, full painting, below a detail. "The Daylight Waits for Her Command (Medicine Hat #11)," 16" x 20", acrylics on gallery wrapped canvas with image painted around the side, so no need to frame unliess one wishes to do so. This original painting is $649 plus s&h to the first one asking nicely. Inquire directly   to me   - I take personal checks, paypal, venmo and will arrange payment plans. SOLD (TY) I didn't realize my own identity until well into my adulthood. I was acutely aware of being a square peg in a round world. It was a well kept secret - at least from my it was - that the square pegs are the ones with all the magic. And I'm very glad that Past Kim didn't try to sand her corners off. It can be lonely, holding onto one's corners. Reach out to the square pegs you know and tell them how amazing they are. And how perfect they are in their own unique qualities. And that one day they will find a community of quadrilaterals ...

Above, full painting, below a detail. "Your Destiny Will Keep You Warm (Medicine Hat #10)," 22" x 30", acrylics on panel, $999 plus s&h to the first one asking nicely. Inquire directly   to me   - I take personal checks, paypal, venmo and will arrange payment plans. SOLD (TY!) Seems like the paint has been flying in these parts, due to no lack of inspiration as I spend time reflecting upon and painting these magical horses. Each Medicine Hat piece has gotten stronger than the one prior - or maybe it's that collectively they are gathering more power. There's so much magic in these pieces, I can't stand it. I am feeling the need for some sort of restoration, but also fearing to take a break and potentially interrupt the flow. So perhaps it is convenient that tomorrow I have to leave the studio and go out into The Real World to deliver several paintings across town, then attend a gallery opening and cheer on good friends who's work w...

"Your Tears Have Been Worthwhile (Medicine Hat #8)," 20" x 30", acrylics on gallery stretched canvas, image painted around the sides so there is no need to frame. $1299 plus s&h to the first one asking nicely. Inquire directly   to me   - I take personal checks, paypal, venmo and will arrange payment plans. I shared   this painting   last week, thinking she was finished. But it was later pointed out** that the painting could be improved - my story wasn't as clear as it could have been. You see the gesture of this horse, which was paramount to me, materializing as she approached the viewer, was not strong enough. Nor was her connection with the flowers explained - that they have taken root and are pulling sustenance from her existence, even if it is imagined. So I dug back into the piece and made some changes - subtle, yet I feel, critical ones that make the painting all the stronger. At times I'm able to see a painting's shortcomings on my ...

In process, this is a rework of an older painting titled "Comfort and Peace." It will get a spiffy, new title, since the painting's story has evolved. I've just not figured that part out yet. The ending to the story, nor how to get there. Such is the joy (or pain, depending upon one's point of view) in working intuitively. I never know where I will end up, but I do know that it's always an adventure, and there often is language as colorful as my brushwork. This is acrylic on panel, 24" x 30", and will be $999 plus s&h to the first one asking nicely. And of course you may ask prior to the piece's completion - I'm happy to offer first dibs. All it takes is a "pretty please." Inquiries may come directly   to me   - I take personal checks, paypal, venmo and can also arrange payment plans. SOLD (TY) I was never fully satisfied with  the earlier rendition of this one . I mean, it was ok in the whole scheme of things, b...

Detail of "All We Ever Dreamed We Had (Medicine Hat #9)," 16" x 16" x 2", acrylics on archival cradeled panel, image painted around the sides so no need to frame. $699 plus s&h to the first one asking nicely. Inquire directly   to me   - I take personal checks, paypal, venmo and will arrange payment plans. This is a tough one to photograph, as she changes dramatically as you walk past. There is lots of layering and reflection and refraction that happens inside the paint layers. For instance, the majority of the white you see in this photo is translucent pearl, and only visible when you are on the opposite side of the light source.   Here is a little video   to provide a better idea of how things shift. This painting is one of my favorites of all time. I'm just going to sit here and look at her all night long. Thanks for following along with my painting journey, Kim

"Your Tears Have Been Worthwhile (Medicine Hat #8)," 20" x 30", acrylics on gallery stretched canvas, $1299 plus s&h to the first one asking nicely. Inquire directly   to me   - I take personal checks, paypal, venmo and will arrange payment plans. I see you. Love, Kim

IN PROCESS, "Untitled," 20" x 30", acrylics on gallery stretched canvas. Inquire directly   to me if interested in having first right of refusal on this one when she's finished. Boy, the incarnations this has gone through are mindboggling. There has to be at least 6 different compositions under here. I am wallowing, but that means that I am pushing the envelope, and one has to step outside their comfort zone in order to grow. I am learning, though, to listen and be patient, and not to second guess gut reactions but just lay them down. It IS only paint, as I have been known to tell my students. So we've established that this one is trying my patience and making me question why I thought the combination of line and form with roots and stems as veins might even work. But then I stopped just a few minutes ago to really look at her, and discovered how very worth it this particular struggle is. Is she telling you a story yet? and is it the same as mine? ...

"Blue," 16" x 20", acrylics on panel, not for sale. Not even if you ask nicely. My family will burn me at the stake if I let this one go. When My Better Half works nights (like he is tonite), I play while the sun's up and work at the end of the day. It's a fun change to my normal routine. Today included a little day trip with one of my favorite peeps in one of our favorite places. It was a delight to enjoy each other's company while the rest of the world was at work. And tonight I had blocked time out to paint for a juried exhibit. My entry is due next week, and, true to form I waited until the nth hour. Because the next painting is always going to be the better one. Well, not always, but I do like to pretend. And I think tonite I might have played my cards well. Well, mostly I played my cards well. You see, I turned my back, and Blue - yes, sweet little adorable - ate half my pizza** while I was feeding Gertrude Stein. Gertie ...

ABOVE, full image, detail BELOW: "Listen to the Colors," 18" x 24" x 1", acrylics on gallery wrap canvas with image painted around the sides (so no need to frame). $899 plus s&h. If you love her, act quickly. If I still have her in the morning, she'll be entered in an exhibit (and, assuming she gets accepted, not available until the show opens, plus you'll have to wait until the show closes for shipment). I accept personal checks, paypal, venmo and payment plans. Inquiries   to me   please. This is the same pony from   yesterday's painting   - I wanted to try again with a treatment similar to the moodier ones I've been doing in previous weeks. Thanks for following along with my art journey, Kim PS Title from the lyrics of   The Breaking Light by Vienna Teng .

"She Used to be Mine," 24" x 36" x 1", acrylics on gallery wrap canvas with image painted around the sides. $1899 plus s&h, but you have to   ask nicely   as this one will be tough for me to part with. I accept personal checks, paypal, venmo and payment plans. I started out with the miniature horse as a self portrait, Young Kim, and the pansies represented my desire to own a horse (in Victorian times pansies meant "thought"). Then a Sara Bareilles song came on,  She Used to Be Mine , a song I associate with The Princess because of a gut-wrenching dance she once performed to it. I put the song on repeat to mentally replay that memory, and as the song cycled,  the lyrics   took on new meaning. They evolved from mourning who the singer used to be, to singing about a child grown and off into the world. So there is a paradox to this painting, at least for me. It is Youn...

IN PROCESS, working title "Resolutions," 24" x 30", acrylics on panel. $899 plus s&h when finished. Reach out to   me   if you are interested. I accept personal checks, paypal, venmo and payment plans. As most of the world, I am reflecting today - looking at the past, and planning for the future. This painting, particularly in it's unresolved state, is a beautiful reflection of the cusp of a new dawn. I approached this painting with the idea of acknowledging the likely truth that I will not own a horse in my lifetime. I thought sitting inside that space would help me be open to what the future brings. I know that disappointment travels hand-in-hand with joy, and I need to have my eyes and ears and heart ready to see and accept that splendor when it shows up. So I had this plan - a reference photo, dramatic lights and darks, and the idea of a misty atmosphere similar to the equines I've been painting the past few wee...

FINISHED! "The Truth," an Echo painting, 24" x 30", acrylics on panel. $899 plus s&h when finished. Reach out to   me   if you are interested. I accept personal checks, paypal, venmo and payment plans. I got a full day in the studio, complete with loud music and very few interruptions, which is how I prefer to work (but that doesn't mean I always get what I want). And magic happened. I started laying marks down, and the painting pretty much told me what to do. The thing I'm most pleased with is her eye - it is SO alive and SO calm - and the little reflective bits of truth that glimmer about her profile ( best seen here, in a detail shot) . Here's a video short outlining the painting's progress . Thanks for following along with my art journey, Kim