Paintings With Soul

  "Toothless," from  The Gratitude Series , 6" x 8", portrait of a well loved Boston Terrier, acrylic on museum quality panel, $329 with proceeds going to  Midwest Boston Terrier Rescue . Inquiries may come  to me .         A while back I put a call out for senior dogs, needing to paint a couple pieces for the Canine Art Guild's latest exhibition "Old Friends."   Midwest Boston Terrier Rescue  sent along some dear photos of dogs in their care, and after obtaining permission from the photographer (see the sidebar), I was eager to pick up my brushes.   Boston's have a rabidly delightful approach to life, and age seemed not to have lessoned this one's joy de vivre at all.   I hope I'm this happy when I'm 105 (15 in dog years).   If you wish to make a donation to Midwest Boston Terrier Rescue like I will be (when this painting sells), you can do so  here . (Like most rescues and shelters, they can also us...

  "Blue Sneak," from  the Gratuitude Painting series , 5" x 11", done in acrylics on a museum quality panel, starring my own little sneak, Mona Lisa, $329. Proceeds from the sale of this painting will be donated to the Oakland Pet Adoption Center in Auburn Hills, Michigan, where Mo-Bug hailed from. Inquiries may come  to me .      Today I couldn't get started on anything until I did a little bit of cleaning in the studio - it's been awhile since the dust bunnies had been herded into another room of the house!   While I was sorting through piles and finding homes, I discovered a stash of scraps from previous cut-down panels.   One of them called out to me, begging for an image.    I couldn't say no.   Hence the title, "Blue Sneak." This panel snuck onto my easel unplanned. Just like it's subject sneaks up onto my taboret and flips dirty brushes out of the water cup. And just like she then streaks off to make mischief el...

"Penny Peach," 8" x 12", portrait of a rescued terrier mix, done in acrylic on panel. I believe this painting is spoken for, but if you would like dibs or something similar, please  email me . SOLD (thank you!) You saw the beginnings of her furry little face yesterday, and I raced into the studio to finish up today. You can see in process photos of Penny's portrait via updates on  the studio Facebook page . Penny's is the latest to join my  Gratitude Project , where I'm painting rescued animals and highlighting the joy and love they are so eager to give. The Santa Cruz SPCA in California, the shelter that matched Penny to her current family, will receive a nice donation when this painting sells. Do you know of a Gratitude muse? Send non-flash pics  my way , and they just might end up in a painting!! Thanks, as always, for looking at and sharing my artwork, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com The Happiness Project I am just starting to ...

  Yes, I know this one is a wee bit blurry...... the painting is still on my easel, and I shot this closeup with my smartphone.   This is a detail of the newest Dog a Day muse, little Miss Penny Peach. She's new to her family (rescued 6 weeks ago), too! And the latest addition to The Gratutude Series of paintings. And an entry in the Canine Art Guild's Helping Paws Online Exhibition.   Geez. That's a lot of pressure on this little one!! And she's still smiling!   You can see today's work on Penny's portrait via updates on  the studio Facebook page .   Tomorrow I'll buckle down and get her finished.   But meanwhile, I still have some thawing to do after cheering on The Caped Crusader and his teammates at their final football game of the season. I think a heating pad, some red wine, a kitten, and a good book should do the trick.   (I just got  The Happiness Project  from the library - has anyone else read it?)   Thanks, ...

ORDER NOTECARDS/REPRODUCTIONS "Little Dog, Big Shadow," from "The Gratitude Project," 5" square, portrait of a delightful little rescued mix breed, done in Golden Open Acrylics on an Ampersand Gessobord, not for sale. Do you ever have the good fortune to meet someone who inspires you without any effort on their part whatsoever? Foxy's Mom is just such a person. Her heart is always in alignment with her actions. She's dedicated her life towards making others' better, without ever losing her sense of humor. And Foxy is her ever present shadow, a witness to the trail of sunshine they leave behind. My only regret is the 1/2 a continent that separates us. Meanwhile, tonite, I'm raising a fine glass of red wine in her direction. And shortly I'll be prepping Foxy's painting to take a little trip out west. Thanks for sharing my artwork with your friends and family, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com Naughty Dog Last year, in great...

ORDER NOTECARDS OR REPRODUCTIONS "Lucy in the Sky....," from The Gratitude Project , 5" square, dog portrait depicting a very, very special Yorkshire Terrier (read below). This painting was done in Golden Open Acrylics on an Ampersand Gessobord and is headed to her new home shortly (THANK YOU!). Additionally, proceeds from the sale of Lucy's portrait will benefit Retro Doggy Rescue , the group that saved Lucy and works with many other special needs dogs. Lucy's Mom says, " L ucy was born with multiple birth defects including AAI (atlanto-axial instability - her skull never connected to her neck - hence her colorful cervical collar she wears 24/7 for support), an open fontanel (hole) in her forehead the size of my thumb and liver disfunction (she follows a strictly vegan lifestyle since she cannot process meat or dairy protein). When she was born, Lucy could not even roll over. Nonetheless, with intensive hydrotherapy, regular accupuncture and dietary s...

"Miri's Memory," 8" x 10", portrait of a rescued Cairn Terrier from Col. Potter Cairn Rescue , from The Gratitude Project . This painting was done in Golden Open acrylics on an Ampersand Geossobord and could be yours for $ 469. As with all the paintings from The Gratitude Project , proceeds from the sale of Miri's painting will be donated to Col. Potter. It's just my way of saying thanks for all the dogs - and people - who's lives are better! I had painted Miri before - she's the lucky Cairn getting all the kisses in this painting from a couple years back. Miri was a puppy mill momma rescue with such a bright spark. She arrived at Col. Potters 2/3rds of a way through a pregnancy, in such poor health that the lives of herself and her litter were endangered. Immediate surgery saved her and 5 of her 6 pups. She enjoyed 4 years with her forever home, years that were far too short but fully lived. She succombed to Cushings last fall, shortly af...

"Phantom," from "The Gratitude Project,"** 9" x 12", portrait of a rescued Staffordshire Bull Terrier mix, done in Golden Open Acrylics on an Ampersand Gessobord, $589. When this painting is purchased, a $120 donation will be made to Animal Ark Shelter in Minnesota. Inquiries may always come to me . Phantom is no longer available, but inquiries may come to me. Phantom came to Animal Ark from Ohio, where she was an unfortunate part of a dog fighting operation. The good news is that the dog fighting ring was shut down, and Phantom, along with her puppy Liberty, were relocated to Animal Ark. Animal Ark is the largest no-kill shelter in the Twin Cities, serving more than 1000 pets each year. Their approach to educating the public, providing innovative no-more-homeless-pets programs to their community (and beyond!) and pampering the animals in their care makes Animal Ark a huge winner in my book. Phantom was lucky to end up th...

"Pick Me, Pick Me !! (Little Nicky)," from "The Gratitude Project," (2) 6-1/2" x 3" panels which together create one 6-1/2" x 6" painting, done in Golden Open Acrylics on Raymar panels, depicting a tiny black shelter kitty. $299 will get you both paintings and a donation made to the San Francisco SPCA, where this wee little one hailed from. Inquiries may come to me . SOLD. "The Gratitude Project" evolved as I searched for a way to carry the serenity discovered at Best Friends during last summer's visit. Nothing makes me feel better than doing good - whether that be for a client or someone else - and the air in Kanab was saturated with peace from all the positive change created at the Sanctuary. I connected with a few of my friends involved with rescue across the country and shared my idea of painting and profiling shelter animals, who, regardless of their circumstances, maintain the capacity to love and forgive. Everyone I spoke ...

Still in process - "Come" and "Play," each 8" square, Golden Open Acrylics on Ampersand Gessobord, portraits of Oreo, a delightful little put bull who recently was adopted. Oreo came into the Berkeley (California) East Bay Humane Society as a 4 month old pup with mutilated ears and an injured leg. He spent some time healing, then learning manners, before finding his forever home. Which didn't take long - after all, he is a charmer, with looks and style. How can anyone resist? I'm still working on Oreo's two paintings and should have them done in another day or two, but if you are interested in one, please let me know , so that I may set it aside for you. Proceeds from the sale of Oreo's portraits will go to the Berkeley East Bay Humane Society as appreciation for the care they gave this special dog. Do you know a companion animal like Oreo? Please d rop me a line and we can talk about including him/her in the Dog a Day Gratitude Project. ...