What on earth was I thinking? My father would answer "you weren't."

It is, after all, my busiest time of the year in the studio. Starting October 1st, I am double, even triple booked, with daily commissioned portraits through December 15th. I work late nights and weekends to meet the holiday rush, mostly because I cannot bear the thought of someone wanting to give a pet portrait and not being able to.

I was completely booked for this year's holiday season last January, yet I still slid in a handful of portraits for repeat clients. There were also a couple stories that tore at my heartstrings, so I made room for them too.

Just with the painting alone, I'd be terribly busy.

Then I go and publish a book on top of this schedule! Yeah, the timing makes sense because of the holidays, and the book will be a great gift. But the paperwork and coordinating necessary in order to calculate how many copies to include in the first run, how much shipping materials I will need for that first mass-shipment, not even mentioning the editing and proofreading and proofreading and proofreading.

Did I say there was some proofreading involved too?

I'm trying more so than in years past to get out of the studio and have some downtime. I've been reading quite a bit (and co-leading my 5th grade son's Battle of the Books team with a good friend), and also started a new knitting project (challenging for me, but ridiculously simple for the rest of the world). And I FINALLY chose a paint trim color for our bedroom after 6 years (it's got some dorky name, but essentially is the color of carmelized pumpkin pie).

Today is mostly paperwork and coordination related to the book. I am looking forward to painting for a few hours this afternoon, though. Painting still is the brightest point of my work days. The next brightest is delivering the works - I love the variety of client reactions.

Guess I'll be getting lots of both in the coming month!! :)
Thanks for following along,
Kim
ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com
www.turtledovedesigns.com

Good Reading Material

I've been trying to catch up on the stack of magazines in the studio corner. I don't subscribe to that many - Art Calendar, the Artists' Magazine, and American Art Collector - but when time is at a minimum, reading is the first thing that goes. And I've got a small mountain of issues stretching back to the summer months.

I'm newly enamored of Jeremy Lipking and Casey Baugh - Google their names - you will see extraordinary paintings. While I don't necessarily connect with their subject matter, there is no denying their mastertise (is that a word?). Their understanding of light, their manipulation of it as though it is a vase or ghourd or something solid, is extraordinary. And their use of edges - soft, hard, and lost - blows me away.

Ultimately, the one lesson that I walk away with when studying the work of these two is sweat equity. Both artists committed to their vision and worked towards it, despite the odds. That could have meant working two dead-end jobs and painting after hours, or relying on a spouse to hold the family together, or moving 1/2 way across the country to study/paint alongside a mentor. Whatever it meant, they did it, while staying true to that inner voice.

I have a wealth of respect for that.

Thanks for following along,
Kim
ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

PS The other thing they both had in common: Richard Schmid. Both (and others) have said that his book "Alla Prima" contains everything they ever needed to learn about painting. It's worth a peek or two - my copy is dogeared. Not that this makes me a better painter, just a disciple. Go to www.righardschmid.com to get your own copy. I recommend his dvds too - they are brilliant!

It's been many moons in the making, but the presses are rolling. I'm thrilled to announce that Painting a Dog a Day - The First Year is available in book form!!

The book includes 100 generously sized 8" x 10" pages of full-color images, including my favorite pieces and stories, along with an essay highlighting the first 15 months of paintings (October 2006-December 2007). I've interjected bits of hindsight and random thoughts about art-making alongside the images.

It's a beautiful publication, one that Dog-a-Day collectors and animal lovers alike will enjoy perusing.

The book is available in both softcover and hardbound editions, and will ship out December 1st via priority mail, in plenty of time for the holidays. It will make a great gift - so check your list twice, and then place an order.

The softcover edition is $39.95; Hardcover (with dust jacket) is $54.95. Shipping and handling will be an additional 4.95 - and I'll gladly combine shipping on multiple volumes. Just ask for a quote.

To order, send an email to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com with the subject line "BOOK". You may also simply send a paypal payment (ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com) for the total amount due, or mail a check directly to the studio (346 N Anderson, Lake Orion, MI 48362). Please include Michigan sales tax if shipping to a Michigan address.

If you pre-order your copy before November 1st, I'll have plenty of time to personalize an inscription and can guarantee holiday delivery.

Thanks, as always, for your time in looking at, and sharing, my paintings (and now my book!) with your friends and family.
Kim
ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com
www.paintingadogaday.com

Read This!!

From January 2007, "Watch Eye," 6" x 8", acrylic on canvasboard, portrait of a gray horse, $279 exquisitely framed. I do not understand why this painting has not yet sold - it is one of my favorites, and has been widely exhibited this past year and a half. Guess he's waiting for the right home. Is it yours? Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com.

Sit down, because I've got some great news.

The Painting a Dog a Day book is ready!! It's finally ready!!

It's been many moons in the making, but the presses are rolling. I am so excited to get these into your hands!

The book includes 100 generously sized 8" x 10" pages of full-color images, including my favorite pieces and stories (like "Watch Eye," above), along with an essay highlighting the first 15 months of paintings. I've also interjected bits of hindsight and random thoughts about art-making. It's a beautiful publication, one that Dog-a-Day collectors and animal lovers alike will enjoy perusing.

The book is available in both softcover and hardbound editions, and will ship out December 1st via priority mail, in plenty of time for the holidays. It will make a great gift - so check your list twice, and then place an order.

The softcover edition is $39.95; Hardcover (with dust jacket) is $54.95. Shipping and handling will be an additional 4.95 - and I'll gladly combine shipping on multiple volumes. Just ask for a quote.

To order, send an email to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com with the subject line "BOOK". You may also simply send a paypal payment (ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com) for the total amount due, or mail a check directly to the studio (346 N Anderson, Lake Orion, MI 48362). Please include Michigan sales tax if shipping to a Michigan address.

If you pre-order your copy before November 1st, I'll have plenty of time to personalize an inscription. VERY IMPORTANT: A pre-order guarantees holiday delivery.

Questions may always come to me at ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

Thanks, as always, for your time in looking at, and sharing, my paintings (and now my book!) with your friends and family.
Kim

Welcome to the Mac World!!

After years of wishing for a Mac, I finally bit the bullet and bought one yesterday. Let me tell you, life is good right now.

Yes, there is always stress and confusion when one gets a new computer, transferring data over, re-building favorite links and various other settings, and that becomes even more complicated when shifting operating systems. But I simply don't care - I am so happy with this new machine, that I will jump through hoops backwards and upside down.

It's a Sunday morning, I've got a heap of paperwork on my desk to get through, but I have the rolls royce of computers to help me out.

Like I said, life is good. Very good.

Kim

ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

www.turtledovedesigns.com 

Holy smokes, but am I behind here. I'll give you a glimpse of what today has been like, and it's just a sampling of the prior 6 weeks I've gone without posting here.

First thing this morning I dueled with the CD drive on my laptop, which suddenly decided it didn't want to burn the images I needed for my 10am meeting. Debated tossing the laptop through my front window, but decided that would create too much additional work. Brought the damned beast with me to the meeting, and transferred the images to a flash drive.

Discovered the basement had flooded during the prior evening's/early morning rains. Emptied the entire contents of the towel closet onto the basement floor, and left a voice mail message for my husband.

Spent the latter half of the morning with a great crew at the Sterling Heights (Michigan) City Hall, accepting their honor of Artist of the Month. (I should add that my early morning also included an atypical combing of the hair and painting of the face, in preparation for the camera.) Filmed a little chat about the story behind my art, and spent a nice chunk of time with two charming and enthusiastic reporters (thank you Cortney and Deanna).

Visited a brand new Salvation Army that was on my commute home. Scored several items that will star in still life paintings of their own, along with the bargain of the day, a vintage wool peacoat for $16!

Checked in with a local electronics store to research the feasibility of tossing the (Windows) laptop through my front window and purchasing a Mac. Highly feasible.

Raced home to prep for a painting demo and presentation this evening. Drafted an outline, chose my reference materials, packed up a mini-retrospective of works, and whipped through a quick demo in the studio.

Participated in a teleconference on marketing and promotions. Discovered I really had no clue about how to "sell" my work to the rest of the world, but walked away with some concrete ideas on how to bridge that gap.

Welcomed children coming home from school. Reviewed backpack materials, shoved snacks down their throats, rushed them through a wardrobe change, and shuttled them off to soccer practices.

Threw dinner together, set the oven timer, loaded the car, and headed off to the demo, trying not to pull over and vomit along the way (due to nerves, not the flu!).

(Quite unexpectedly) sailed through my presentation, created a lovely demo painting while sounding articulate, and literally basked in the positive after-comments. Made it home safely, despite walking on clouds (in the dark), to find everyone in bed (and -BONUS - smelling clean!).

Tossed the final load of wet towels into the washer (bless you, Rick, for mopping up the basement and starting the laundry and packing lunches), warmed up some dinner, poured a glass of wine in this silent house, pulled in emails, and checked my to-do list. It included a long overdue entry on updating my studio blog.

Which leads me to here. The dregs of a glass of wine, and a good book calling my name.

Goodnight!

The Barbie Series

FROM TOP: "Bad Hair Day (Barbie)," 12" square, acrylic on gallery stretched linen; "I've Lost My Head (Barbie)," 8" x 10", acrylic on gallery stretched linen. Both available for purchase; inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com .

Friends convinced me to enter some of my toy paintings in an exhibition at a local university. Originally I was going to paint finger puppets, but an afternoon spent sorting through my daughter's closet pushed me into an entirely new direction - Barbies.

These two new paintings are very much part of the "Tags, Toys and Treasures" group. But they have a presence that is oddly unlike the objects I've painted for "Tags, Toys and Treasures," and therefore will become their own entity/series.

Barbie is such a cultural icon that every viewer brings their own bag of memories and feelings to the paintings.

I'm laughing as I play with the dolls in my studio. It's a second childhood, working on these toy paintings, that's for certain! (Having 4 brothers, I didn't play much with Barbies. My oldest brother ripped their heads off to jam firecrackers down their necks. That sort of behavior wouldn't be tolerated these days, but it was pretty common place when I was a kid. We lived dangerously then, riding bikes without helmets and all. Ah, but I digress).

So anyways, here are the two pieces I'll be sending to the show. We'll see how they are received, and what sorts of other compositions I can build from Annie's stash of dolls.

Thanks for your time,

Kim

ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

http://www.turtledovedesigns.com/

Frustrations

I set out yesterday with high aspirations. I was going to paint outdoors, all day, and complete at least one little jewel in oil paints.

The stars just weren't aligned, though.

I did paint outdoors for most of the day. The light was beautiful and the birds were serenading me. I set up near a building that had intricate cast shadows of foliage.

But it just didn't happen. I don't know if the light changed too quickly, or if I just wasn't in the groove. I couldn't see what it was I was supposed to be painting. My palette had all the right colors, but I couldn't get the shapes down, and the edges eluded me.

I wiped out three panels before packing up and heading home. It was far more enjoyable to join up with Rick and the kids lakeside for the remainder of the day.

I'll have another go at plein air work later this week. Hopefully I'll have better luck this time around!

Kim
ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com
www.turtledovedesigns.com

Cranbrook House, Plein Air & Oils Part II

"Cranbrook House," 11" x 14", oil on panel. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com .

I had every intention of returning to Cranbrook Gardens after my class ended, but so far it hasn't happened. I haven't given up on this idea, but rather, am starting to realize how difficult it is in the midst of summer vacation, when I WANT to have 6+ hours to work on site with an idea.

I wanted to try this composition again multiple times, in the morning, mid-afternoon, and evening. Study how the light's angle changes the color and substance. It'll happen, just not this week.

Anyway, this is my second oil painting from my June plein air class. Unlike the last post, which was done from thumbnail sketches and memory, this one was done in the flesh.

I was drawn to the mullioned panes, and the way they reflected the sky and trees. The tiled roof did the same thing - flashes of pink in the highlights, and dashes of softer violets in the shadows.

I ran out of time to get that level of detail into this painting. But I had a great time finessing my drawing, working those edges, and laying the paint down. I think oils and I will be getting along fine in no time at all.

Thanks, as always, foor looking.

Kim

ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

Plein Air and Oil Paints

"Twins," 8" x 10", oil painting on panel, inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com .

It's been a while since I last posted to this blog. Guess I have been REALLY immersed in the daily paintings. But I did want to share some of the piecess from the plein air course I took last month.

It was a week long adventure into painting out of doors, working directly from the landscape, and using oil paints for the first time.

And of course, being Michigan, the weather did not coorperate.

Day one we wandered the grounds and did thumbnail sketches, planning compositions and breaking them down into planes, using about 5 values.

Day two was cold, windy, and threatening rain. We convened in the classroom to paint from memory, using our thumbnail sketches as guides.

That's where this piece, "Twin Shrubs" came from. The night prior I was drawn to the negative spaces between the low slung, woven branches, and the way the evening light glowed from behind.

This was a nice exercise for me, and allowed a lot of playing with the oil paint, working across the surface of the panel, lifting areas of paint, rubbing others in. I could have kept on working for hours, exploring the properties of the paint.

When we returned to the gardens the following night, I realized how "off" my painting really was. Just gives me another reason to try the same concept at another time.

Thanks, as always, for looking,

Kim

ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

This painting has been a long time in the making. Our home is always had at least one goldfish bowl, and I've been captivated by the beauty of fantails as they circle through their fantastical world of reflections.

I moved my two black moors from the kitchen into the studio a couple weeks back. I spent a few days playing with different background fabrics, various sized shells, and other oddments. I bounced light off different walls, the ceiling, colored boards. Finally I found a setup that captured my fascination with the goldfish, yet retained a fresh and whimsical quality matching my vintage toy still life paintings.

The image at the top of this blog is the work in process right now. Working title "Fish out of Water," the painting is 26" x 18" on gallery stretched canvas.

I am concentrating on capturing a limited number of values at this point, establishing the weight of the forms and placing them firmly within their space on the canvas.

I also want the light to feel tangible, and that has been a tricky, as this setup is a high contrast one by nature, and therefore the light itself becomes more transient, and those value shifts aren't really value shifts at all, but color temperature changes.

I'll continue working on this painting in preparation for a March exhibition. I'm also finessing a handful of smaller paintings that will be going to the art show held in conjunction with the Grand National Rodeo Championships near San Francisco California in April. And I continue to paint the dog-a-days, which are now booked into March 2009.

I already have my next still life setup - a couple of hand carved wooden vintage horses that were once children's toys, but have seen better days. They definately have that "Velveteen Rabbit" feel to them. I'm excited to start that piece, once I get these fish out of my system!!