Paintings With Soul

  "The Gloaming," 9"x12", acrylics and graphite on museum quality panel, $429 plus s&h to the first asking nicely. Returning collectors receive 10% off. I accept paypal, personal checks and payment plans. inquiries can always come  to me . This piece showed up the other day, in just a matter of a few hours. But she also came to life overtop of another pony painting which I had labored over for probably 2 years at least, never quite getting that one resolved. So I drew a new pony overtop, keeping the head and neck placement but changing the body, added the celestial orb, painted a few marks/shapes (probably 1/3 of the panel is the old painting showing through) and voila!!  Funny how that can happen, isn't it? Her intention all along was to be herself - not something I was trying to force into existence. This also has me thinking that it might be fun to do a daily painted sketch of sorts on paper, and once I've accumulated a month's worth, to go back i...

  "Fern," 12"x16", acrylics and graphite on museum quality panel, $499 plus s&h to the first asking nicely. Returning collectors receive 10% off. I accept paypal, personal checks and payment plans. inquiries can always come  to me . I haven't signed any paintings (other than a small commission) since the beginning of the month. That's unheard of, at least in my world. There has been so much going on, between the pet portrait demos, meetings, workshops and zoom sessions, that I've not been able to get to the easel as much as usual. So it felt wonderfully good to bring this one to completion today.  Thanks for following along on my painting journey, Be well, Fondly, Kim PS The Pet Portrait painting videos are now   available for streaming !

  This little painting is one of my most popular images for   reproductions.   I love the sauciness of her! She's a great example of brushwork and color, both topics I'm going into deeply with the second session of the pet portraiture demo, which airs live Monday, May 24th at 7pm. Above, the demonstration paintings from Part One. In this session we discussed in great detail concept development, client communication, and reference photo selection. We also addressed substrates, palette management aspects, and got an underpainting down along with the initial block in of Bean. If you wish to catch up, you can watch the session on demand. Full details are   here . And just like that, we are onto Part Two!! continuing right where we left off, I'll explain how I layer my gestural marks, my choice of color, how I mix said color, and a special focus on the importance of the animal's gaze. My goal is to bring at least Beanie's face to completion, and to tie up/s...

  "Momma Bear," 36"x36"x1-1/2", acrylics and graphite/water solubles on gallery wrap canvas, sides painted (so no need to frame), $1999 plus s&h to the first asking nicely. Yes, there will be prints made of this one once she sells. Returning collectors receive 10% off. I accept paypal, personal checks and payment plans. inquiries can always come  to me . This one will be tough to let go. I just adore the end result - but more importantly, the road that got me here was fruitful, engaging and educational. I am ready to continue pushing my imagery and leveling up my creative voice. Momma Bear is a key milestone piece in this journey for sure! A journey which, through the magic of the internet, I am able to share in great detail with   my online students . I have two tiers, or levels, depending on your individual goals: Studio Visits ($15/mo) are designed for those curious about my process and starting to chart their own pathway. Real Time content ($25/mo) is m...

"Rudy & Riley," 11"x14"x1, acrylics on cradled panel, commissioned portrait. HOWEVER, if you recognize these two, please please please keep it on the down low, as the portrait has not been yet gifted (the recipient is not on Facebook). inquiries can always come  to me . For years I have been asked to teach pet portraiture online. I mean years - probably a decade or so. You have been more than patient with me. Which is why I am so thrilled to finally announce that I am doing so! May 18th at 7pm eastern I will begin Part 1 of a live demonstration of a pet portrait. I'm starting from the very beginning, building a composition that will look and feel like our subject, using   the wonderful goofball Bean   as our model. I plan to talk about reference photo curation, composition and design, then go into surface choice and preparation, blocking the painting in, and carry the mark-making until the piece is completed (or close enough that you all get the point). We w...

  "Full Moon (a portrait of Blue)," 14"x18", acrylics on panel, Not currently for sale (I intend to enter this piece in a juried exhibition where it must be for sale), but if you are interested in acquiring this painting in a couple months, inquiries can always come  to me . I love my Blue. As they say with rescue animals, who rescued who? and that's certainly the case with this little guy, who is teaching me to slow down and be clearer and deliberate with my actions. He's also amplified the joy present in my life a thousand fold. Spiritual wisdom tells us that a full moon is a symbol of a heart-centric, new beginning. I believe that our world is readying itself for just that, as vaccines are disbursed and we begin our post-pandemic lives. And who better to amplify that beginning than a little rescue dog, who came to us after 4 other households decided he wasn't the right fit for them. ALSO (a little reward for those of you who are still reading!) I will...

  In honor of what should be Kentucky Derby Week, I am sharing my original equine work, which is something I've done this time every year since 2007. "She Bows Her Head and Honors the Light in All of Us," 24"x30", acrylics on panel, $899 plus s&h. This painting is cleated and wired on the backside, so the buyer has the option of hanging it floating-style on the wall. It can also be framed. I accept Paypal, personal checks and payment plans. Purchase inquiries can always come   to me . I posted this painting exactly one year ago today, as part of last year's Kentucky Derby Week celebrations. Here's what I wrote about it   then . Inside the space of a year, this painting's narrative has also grown to include a representation of kindness and grace in our world, non judgmental listening, acceptance of differing points of view, inclusion and fairness, and strong, principle based leadership (yes, Ms Blais - my 4th grade teacher - that was intentionally...

  Kimberly Kelly Santini   paintings with soul because our world needs more beauty   "She Used to Be Mine"," 24" x 36"x1", acrylics on gallery wrapped canvas with image wrapped around the sides, $1899 plus s&h. Please note that the watermark is not on the original painting. Returning collectors always receive 10% off. I accept Paypal, personal checks and payment plans. Feel free to directly  message me  with your inquiries. When I first planned which paintings I would share this week, I sequenced   "Listen to the Colors"   and "She Used to Be Mine" back to back, totally forgetting that they originated from the same reference photo. I find it intriguing how each piece took on it's own personality and unique dynamic, despite the shared inspiration. This painting is about generations of mothers sending their daughters out into the world. We carry them with us, then we celebrate their independence as they learn to live outside our i...

  Above, full painting and detail, "Listen to the Colors"," 18" x 24"x1", acrylics on gallery wrapped canvas with image wrapped around the sides, $899 plus s&h. Please note that the watermark is not on the original painting. Returning collectors always receive 10% off. I accept Paypal, personal checks and payment plans. Feel free to directly  message me  with your inquiries. This painting is one of my all time favorites. And I've been pleased as punch (isn't that an odd saying?!) that she's still with me. I'm not going to question it because I get to enjoy and love on her every single day until she finds a home. Also this painting was a seed piece, the source of inspiration for the painting I shared yesterday,   "Viola"   (and thank you so much for your enthusiasm in welcoming Viola to my portfolio!). As to the title, I love asking myself odd questions, like what non verbal objects, say a particular color, would sound like. Or...

  "Viola," 18" x 24", acrylics on panel, $799 plus s&h. Please note that the watermark is not on the original painting. Returning collectors always receive 10% off. I accept Paypal, personal checks and payment plans. Feel free to directly  message me  with your inquiries. So I thought I would have this painting, which I've been working on for a number of days, done today probably around noon. That would give me plenty of time to photograph and post her here to my newsletter and still be able to work on some other projects. I really mis-judged how long she would take to complete. I signed her shortly after 8pm. But every second was worth it. And I feel even more energized, if that is at all possible, than I did when I started working this morning. She'll come to my critique group tomorrow for an impartial assessment. I imagine there will be minor tweaks. Or rather, I suppose I should say that I hope the feedback I receive involves minor tweaks. At the mom...

  "A Star is Born," 9" x 12", acrylics on museum quality panel in a simple black floater frame, $429 plus s&h to the first asking nicely. Please note that the watermark is not on the original painting. Returning collectors always receive 10% off. I accept Paypal, personal checks and payment plans. Feel free to directly  message me  with your inquiries. Continuing our Kentucky Derby Week celebration, I bring you this joyful piece. Why couldn't the universe have been created by the sparks flying off a giant, galloping horse? This is another painting that recently returned home after traveling. She's looking for a wall of her own to gallop across. Thanks for following along on my painting journey. Be well, Fondly, Kim

  "The Torch Bearer," full painting and detail images above, 16" x 20", acrylics on panel, $649 plus s&h to the first asking nicely. Please note that the watermark is not on the original painting. Returning collectors always receive 10% off. I accept Paypal, personal checks and payment plans. Feel free to directly  message me  with your inquiries. Kentucky Derby Week was always a holiday in my mind. When I was a kid, my butterflies grew with each day, as I eagerly anticipated a rare afternoon of televised horse racing. It became even more of a special event when I was honored as the official artist of the 2015 Kentucky Derby (yes, the same year that American Pharoah swept the Triple Crown). I continue to mark this week by losing myself in all things equine, as the race approaches and the pagaentry builds. "The Torch Bearer" carries much significance to me. The reference photos came from a visit to Win Star Farms in Lexington just a few days before ...

  Kimberly Kelly Santini   paintings with soul because our world needs more beauty   "Inner Truth," 24" x 20", acrylics on panel, $849 plus s&h to the first asking nicely. Please note that the watermark is not on the original painting. Returning collectors always receive 10% off. I accept Paypal, personal checks and payment plans. Feel free to directly  message me  with your inquiries. For the last month I've been involved in a workshop called "The Brand of You." It was offered via Patreon with the mission of defining clearer intentions in our lives. One of the most important takeaways I got was a cleaner understanding of my own truth and mission as an individual, as a painter and as an instructor. There's a certain ferocity to what I do daily - painting intuitively from a vulnerable space in response to world events - and also a tenderness, which I suppose comes about because I am willing to be vulnerable. This is the painting that came to fru...

  "Daffodil," 20" x 20", acrylics on quatrefoil shaped panel, $899 plus s&h to the first asking nicely. Please note that the watermark is not on the original painting. Returning collectors always receive 10% off. I accept Paypal, personal checks and payment plans.   Please message me.   Daffodil is disgusted with this week's weather forecast. She is so done with snow. Is a little sunshine and 60 degree weather too much to ask for in late April in Michigan? pretty please? Thanks for following along on my painting journey. Be well, Fondly, Kim

  "Turbulence," 24" x 20", acrylics on panel, $849 plus s&h to the first asking nicely. Please note that the watermark is not on the original painting. Returning collectors always receive 10% off. I accept Paypal, personal checks and payment plans.   Please message me.   It's been a bumpy ride, hasn't it? just when it feels as though positive change is happening, there's a new setback. Or past mistakes are repeated. I'm right here with you. It's been stressful here too. Perhaps this note is showing up in your box after a good amount of radio silence from me. Back in late February, just as I had corrected my internet and network problems, I began having issues with emails getting properly delivered. At first I thought it was an isolated thing. As the weeks went on, it escalated significantly and I realized only a small percentage of my messages were actually arriving. It took a good amount of research and digging, however, I think that is fina...

  "Tulip Chickie," 6" x 8" x 1", acrylics in cradled panel, image wrapped around the side for a clean and contemporary look, $269 plus s&h to the first asking nicely. Please note that the watermark is not on the original painting. Returning collectors always receive 10% off. I accept Paypal, personal checks and payment plans.   Please message me.   Tulip is the friend who is always in tune with your mood and will sit quietly alongside you during the darkest times, no questions asked. She also loves to dance, and has this crazy, signature head-bobbing move that gets everyone rushing onto the dance floor. Thanks for following along on my painting journey. Be well, Fondly, Kim

  "Pink Chickie," 6" x 8" x 1", acrylics in cradled panel, image wrapped around the side for a clean and contemporary look, $269 plus s&h to the first asking nicely. Please note that the watermark is not on the original painting. Returning collectors always receive 10% off. I accept Paypal, personal checks and payment plans.   Please message me.   That bow <3 I can't stand it! Thanks for following along on my painting journey. Be well, Fondly, Kim

  "Millie," 6" x 8" x 1", acrylics in cradled panel, image wrapped around the side for a clean and contemporary look, $269 plus s&h to the first asking nicely. Please note that the watermark is not on the original painting. Returning collectors always receive 10% off. I accept Paypal, personal checks and payment plans.   Please message me.   Here's another little chicklet for you. They are so much fun to paint! Thanks for following along on my painting journey. Be well, Fondly, Kim

  "Coco," 6" x 8" x 1", acrylics in cradled panel, image wrapped around the side for a clean and contemporary look, $269 plus s&h to the first asking nicely. Please note that the watermark is not on the original painting. Returning collectors always receive 10% off. I accept Paypal, personal checks and payment plans.   Please message me.   It's baby chick season! Over the weekend, I visited a mess of little peepers and floofers, which of course meant that I had to paint them, right?! It's hard to make these any cuter - but I think the addition of a crown levels things up just a smidge. I intentionally kept this one small, so she could be easily tucked somewhere. However, if you are looking for more of a statement painting,   Derby Chicks   is available. I can also paint something to your specifications, whether that be size or colors. Thanks for following along on my painting journey. Be well, Fondly, Kim

  I wanted to share a super fun event that's happening TOMORROW.  I am so thrilled to get to paint live, via instagram, with one of my heros and dear friends Ardith Goodwin. We will be painting each other's favorite animal, using each other's favorite color, and having a grand ole' time in the process. You can watch this unfold, side by side, via   Ardith's live Instagram feed , tomorrow nite (April 9th) at 6pm central time. I recommend viewing on a device larger than a cell phone, in order to maximize the level of detail visible on the split screen. Hope you can join us to view the paint slinging and general jollitry (is that a word? well it is now!). Here's a   direct link . Thanks for following along on my painting journey. Be well, Fondly, Kim