Skip to main content

ARTISTS NOTE: Giclees are available of this painting. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

"Day One," 11" x 14", Paws With a Cause golden retriever mother and pup portrait, acrylic on canvasboard, painting in process but available for purchase, $399. $80 from the sale of this painting will be donated to Paws With a Cause in the buyer's name. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com .

SOLD.

Today I am guilty of being terribly overambitious. Who can blame me, though, when handed the reference photo that inspired this painting? This is Hula and her litter of one, Peyton, on their first day, napping in a little shaft of sunlight.

And the pose demanded a larger painting. To date I hadn't completed an 11" x 14" as a dog a day piece. Then add in the two dog factor. Also, the reference photo was black and white. That meant I was flying by the seat of my pants when trying to visualize the nuances of wispy feathering, brand new fur, and a soft fuzzy blanket.

But working on this piece was a joy. The tenderness between the two dogs and the textural contrasts came together just like I had envisioned. A year ago I don't think I would have had the confidance or skills to tackle this one, or bring it this far in one day.

There are still some values to shift - I want the pup to glow inside a shaft of sunlight, and Hula's beautiful feathers will be added at the very end. I will live with this painting for another week or so, making careful adjustments/additions. The painting demands tighter detail that what it carries now, because your eye wants to linger as it circles around the composiiton. I need to make the viewing worthwhile, and place color and details that encourage this.

Thanks, as always, for looking.
And for sharing these paintings with your friends and family.
Have a very safe weekend,
Kim

PS Just a reminder that I will be personalizing AKC/Eukanaba posters at Margot's Gallery in Oxford, MI tomorrow from 1-4pm. Please call Margot directly if you have questions or need directions: 248-628-5398.

Kimberly Kelly Santini
http://www.turtledovedesigns.com/
distinctive pet portraits
& 4-legged paintings

http://www.paintingadogaday.com/
come. sit. stay.
enjoy the art.

Founding member of the Canine Art Guild
http://www.canineartguild.com/
the gateway to canine art on the web

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Tabby Kit

"Tabby Kit," 5" x 7", acrylics on a museum quality panel, depicting a tiny little orange striped guy from Morgue File . This painting can be yours for $289, which includes s&h inside the US. And in case you didn't see it, a little doodle of him is also available for sale here . Inquires may come directly to me .  Although it certainly doesn't FEEL like spring here (snow and ice and wind chills, brr!), I can tell that spring is coming. The mercury is rising a wee bit each day and the days are getting longer and brighter. Over the weekend we drove with the moonroof open just to feel the sun's meager and oh-so-very-welcome warmth (although the heat in the car was cranked, too, in the interest of full disclosure!). I wanted to work with spring-like colors today, and this little guy was still on my mind , so I grabbed a small panel and got to work. Of course, I also have Poppy to finish and some changes to make to another po
“Rapt (Shadow),” from the Larger than Life series, 16”x22”, acrylic black lab mixed breed pet portrait on gallery wrapped canvas, $699. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . SOLD. This is Shadow, who went missing on Sunday night. He belongs to a friend of mine, and has been a fixture in our community for many years. Errant fireworks scared the silly old guy into running off, and his family is busy searching for him. (If you happen to be in the Lake Orion/Oakland County area and have seen Shadow, please call 248-391-0867 or 248-391-6817) I’m confidant that he is safe (somewhere!) and awaiting discovery, but meanwhile, couldn’t help myself from posting his portrait as today’s dog a day painting . He’s constantly on my mind, and probably will remain so, until he finds his way back home. Hug your four legged guys while you can! Thanks, as always, for looking. And for sharing these paintings with friends and family, Kim Kimberly Kelly Santini http://www.turtledovedesigns.com/ dis

NEW! Etsy Store

One of my favorite unsold paintings from 2008, "Lashes & Corkscrews," 5" x 8", acrylic on canvasboard, depicting a tobiano buckskin curly horse, $289. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com (but read further on how you can get a special deal on this painting!). Now it's ridiculously easy to browse my painting archives. All you have to do is visit my Etsy store . Etsy has a Shopping Cart (so you can pile it high with purchases from a variety of artists), is integrated with Paypal (although you may still pay by check if you prefer to), and is terribly simple to navigate. When the week has ended, I will have listed almost 100 of my favorite (UNSOLD!) paintings here, grouped loosely by subject matter. During 2009 I'll update the shop regularly, and add non-Dog-a-Day pieces as a bonus, thus making it easy to search for that perfect gift. Watch my daily postings for announcements, promotions and discount codes. If you do not receive the Dog-a-Day emails (