Painting Pet Portraits - An Artists' Workshop

Last night I led a group of 15 brave-hearted artists in a workshop focused on painted pet portraits. These "kids" were amazing - for some of them, this was their first time using acrylics, their first time painting an animal, and/or their first time painting loosely. They tackled the assignment with vigor and attitude and laughter.

And I've gotta say, the results were spectacular!

Scroll down for more photos of the fun!

I shared my techniques for painting loosely, with a focus on expressive brushwork and using lots of bold (yet still harmonious) color. We discussed the elements of a strong composition, how to best accent the focal point, learned some color mixing approaches and a little bit of color theory.

The most important thing to me was that everyone learned something new which they could carry into their own method of working.

Even I came home with some new tidbits!

A special thank you to the Anchor Bay Artists' Group for inviting me out. And an extra warm thanks to the 15 who shared their time with me yesterday - I hope that you are all safe and warm and looking forward to painting your way through this next snow storm!

And that goes for everyone - please stay safe during this nasty weather!

Kim

ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

Bad Kitty Update

This is Mona's new favorite spot - the top of my taboret.

It gets warmed by a heat duct and is conveniently situated so that she can watch Finnigan herding the snowflakes outside. When he heads around to the front door, she's got ample time to reposition herself for an ambush.

This particular perch is also key in that should I not be suitably worshipping at the shrine of Mona, all she need do is casually flip paintbrushes onto the floor for some immediate attention.

I'm not certain what the next couple days have in store for us other than a wee bit of snow (that would be sarcasm, folks), but rest assured that the Santini's will be safe at home. We have no plans to do anything other than periodically shovel ourselves out. And we'll be hosting the Bananagrams Championship of the Universe.

And of course, after I defend my Bananagrams Crown, I'll be painting. I'll update the Painting a Dog a Day blog, assuming we have power and internet.

Fingers and toes crossed that all in the path of this storm have the same (at least).

PSST - See the artwork behind Mona Lisa? This is one of my all time favorite pieces. It's a reproduction of Sheona Hamilton-Grant's "Legacy."(Sheona, I hope you don't mind your shout out coming from the Bad Kitty column!!) I love to surround myself with artwork that inspires, and Sheona's drawings do just that AND more.

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 (

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