Paintings With Soul

  "Big Grin (Jake)," commissioned pet portrait of a Shih Tzu done in acrylics on an 8" x 10" panel. Jake is a Christmas gift, so if you know him or his family, this is our little secret, ok?   In process pics of Jake are in my Mobile Uploads photo folder on  the studio's facebook page .   Am running back to the easel - I'm a couple paintings behind and need to play catchup. Good thing I love my job!!   I've started a wait list for any holiday commission cancellations - but meanwhile am offering gift certificates for those of you who want something physical to "gift." Email me  if you are interested!   Thanks, as always, for looking at and sharing my artwork, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com     Mona's Joined the Big Leagues   My painting of studio muse Mona Lisa, "Kittyscape," is a finalist in the  Richeson 75: Animals, Birds and Wildlife exhibition, which opened online yesterday. Mona's in some es...

"Carly," 6" square, commissioned Shih Tzu portrait for a special little girl, acrylic on canvasboard, private collection (thank you!). Inquiries may always come to me . On Monday I hung a special exhibition of twenty-some paintings in Body Pure, a pilates studio in Birmingham Michigan. Yes, I know, it's not a traditional gallery space. But it does have a sizeable volume of daily traffic, the majority of whom do have pets or know someone who does. This sets my work apart even more so in that it is isolated in a gorgeous setting with individuals who are prepared to talk about my process and help to share the Painting a Dog a Day story (thank you Tina and Sharon!). Feel free to swing by and take a peek at the work - Body Pure is located at 33680 Woodward, just south of Maple. Call ahead of time (248-646-4350), as their hours reflect their class structures. And don't hesitate to let me know what I can do to help you get one of my paintings into your collection. If...

"Little Daisy," 4" x 8", commissioned puppy portrait in acrylic on canvasboard (thank you!). Inquiries may always come to me . Daisy is part of a group of holiday gifts I'm creating for a client. It's a great time, working each one up (I've done 4 so far), studying them collectively, and then trying to imagine them going to separate homes. There is the promise of thrilling times ahead, that's for certain! Speaking of which.... I'm excited to be participating in an exciting event that starts tomorrow. 140 Hours , the brainchild of New York gallery owner Gary Brant, is the first fine art auction to be conducted via social media. He has collected an inspiring and diverse group of artists (I feel lucky to be included!) and you can browse through the artwork and read more about the artists and the event itself on the site (here's a direct link to my piece ). To bid on the artwork, register with the 140 Hours site , then use your twitter accoun...

"Cosette, From Above," 6" square, dog portrait in acrylic on canvasboard. Inquiries may always come to me . Cosette, a rescued gem of a dog, belongs to Taylor's family. I'll be painting Cosette again, along with their other two siblings in the future. Collectively, the paintings will make for a stunning presentation, and I am eager to get them into my clients' hands. Just as I'm eager to announce the winners of the two holiday Dog-a-Day portraits - one a new Dog-a-Day subscriber who signed up during the month of September, the other an existing subscriber who referred new subscriber(s) during the same month. I'm awaiting confirmation from them both before I make an announcement, but I am looking forward to sharing their stories and paintings with you. Took a walk in the woods with Finnigan (my dog) at the end of the day, and it was simply stunning, the way the setting sun illuminated the trees. Our leaves are just starting to turn, and the trunks...

"Gus," 5" x 7", commissioned Shihtzu portrait, acrylic on canvasboard, private collection (THANK YOU!). You can get one of these paintings of your own - it's super easy - just  email me . I've got a handful of holiday 2009 slots left and am currently booking new customers for March 2010.   Gus is a darling little guy, a puppy mill rescue who got the Hollywood ending he deserved. Not all puppy mill dogs do. Please, if you are considering adopting a dog (in no particular order), visit your local shelter, find a rescue group (there are breed specific ones if you have your heart set on a particular breed - google them!), visit  Petfinder  or work with a reputable breeder. There are a zillion options other than going to a pet store, honest.   Ok, off the soapbox.   I love this painting because it is a black and white dog who isn't - gasp! - black or white at all. Study black and white objects with your eyes (not via photographs). Marvel at the shadows and how...

FROM TOP/LEFT: "Fierce Hunter," 4" x 8", $249, SOLD ; "Cleo," 4" x 5", $184, SOLD . Both paintings in acrylic on canvasboard. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . I've been in a Shih-tzu groove lately - once I realized that, I had to mix it up with an old standby - the black cat. I rustled through old photos of Miah, and came up with one where she was hunting Turtle's tail. You know the game - Cat A is quietly lying there, minding her own business, totally oblivious to Cat B, who is stalking and waiting for the right moment to pounce. That was my two. Hard to believe it'll be a year Saturday since Turtle died, and 6 months gone by since Miah. Sigh. Thanks, as always, for your time in looking at and sharing these paintings with your friends and family. See you tomorrow, Kim

FROM TOP: "Milo," 5" x 7"; and "Emma," 6"x8"; both commissioned shih-tzu portraits in acrylic on canvasboard, both headed to a new home (THANK YOU!). Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . These two remind me of Muppets. Such lively little faces, with fur and hair everywhere. And a total contrast to today's studio background soundtrack - I started out with The Nutcracker (it WAS snowing this morning), but it wasn't edgy enough, and I shifted gears to Amy Winehouse. What a fun day in the studio!! You might have noticed the subtle new look to the daily emails. That's because I've changed delivery services. I learned that Google Newsgroups, my old provider, was not reliable. Over the last week, when investigating why some Dog-a-Day subscribers were not receiving their daily painting, I discovered that some email servers block Google generated emails, especially those with attachments or images, as part of their spam reductio...

"Winston," 4" x 8", a Shih Tzu dog portrait in acrylic on canvasboard. Proceeds from the sale of this painting will go to Peke A Tzu Rescue. Send inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . First, I must apologize for consistently misspelling my rescues' name, along with typo-ing their website in yesterday's posting. The group has kindly forgiven my error, and I hope you will as well. The correct spelling of the rescue is Peke A Tzu, and their website is http://www.pekeatzurescue.com/ . As I mentioned yesterday, Peke A Tzu Rescue focuses on toy and small breeds. They are based in Michigan, with foster homes also in Indiana, Ohio and Florida specializing in special needs dogs, like Winston, the star of today's painting. Winston was rescued in 2004, completely flea infested, with unclipped toenails growing into the pads of his feet, and horrible eye and ear infections. Today he is a happy, contented boy who loves being loved on. He does have spe...

“Emily,” 5x7, commissioned shihtzu pet portrait in acrylic on canvasboard, private collection (THANK YOU!). I love the full-on frontal face of this breed. All the fur, going this way and that, the nice ole topknot, those big doe eyes. I had more fun with my brushwork on Emily’s painting, really playing with the direction of her wisps, and the reflection of sky off her eyes and that tiny little nose. She was a doll to paint. On other news, we returned yesterday from our long weekend getaway, where we celebrated my brother’s wedding in grand Texan style. My new sister is incredible, and I couldn’t have chosen better myself (hee hee – I know you’re reading this, Karla!!). But I’m back in the studio, refreshed, a little sunburned (which is a treat in Michigan in October!), and ready to conquer the busy weeks leading into the holiday season. I am wading through all the mail and paperwork here in the studio, sending acknowledgements out to those of you who submitted dog tags (tags may still...

“Sasha’s Smile,” 4x8, shihtzu pet portrait in acrylic on canvasboard. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . In class last night, I learned that relying on photographs as much as I do has been holding me back from capturing the nuances of light. That I need to do more paintings from life, so that I can study light and how it bounces. Well, at least, that was my homework. Which, in my real life terms, translates to 100 dog a days of couch potatoes and sunbathers. That would get a little boring, wouldn’t it? But what you will see is an occasional interjection of dog ephemera. A milkbone, or collar tags, for example. I want to get a couple of these still lives under my belt first, so that I’m a little more comfortable sharing (I do make a lot of bad paintings – you should see this ridiculous still life from last night – it’s embarrassing – and I am not ready to post my still lives quite yet – but I WILL get there, honest.) So, also in line with last night’s class, my instructor a...

“Shihtzu Study (Casey),” 5x7, commissioned shihtzu pet portrait in acrylic on canvasboard, private collection (thank you!). Casey is a sweet little guy who passed away late last year. This painting is a gift to Casey’s “dad,” currently fighting his own battle with cancer. My wish is that it bring comfort to this family, and maybe spark a few grins and good tales as they gather to remember times shared. I will be painting tomorrow’s dog-a-day at the Community Arts Building of the Michigan State Fairgrounds starting around 11-11:30. I’m bringing along enough boards to do a handful of paintings if time allows (I’ll stay till about 1:30 or 2, and then head over to the barns for a photo session before taking on rush hour traffic) – I would love for you to stop by and visit if you find yourself in the area. And some exciting news – my work was juried into the 47th annual Thumb Area Artists’ Exhibition! This is especially meaningful because my two entries were dog-a-day paintings from much e...