I Carry A Big Mahl Stick Now

I have been having a problem when working on large canvases and keeping my hand steady ...so wanted a mahl stick to work with. I explained what I wanted..showed my husband the stick in an art catalogue I have... and voila! The man made me two! One a 30" stick for my bigger easel works and a smaller 15" one for works that I can actually do on my drawing board. I don't know how I worked before without them! I do know I dragged my hand through wet paint a lot! Not good! I photographed the sticks so you can see what he made!What a clever man!

Today I am getting paintings together for the art show in Augusta next weekend at the Northeast Horseman's Conference and Trade Show Invitational Art Show. I have been invited to exhibit my work along with 4 other Maine equine artists, January 16th and 17th, 2010 in Augusta, Maine. My work exhibited will mainly comprise my casein work. I am excited to see what the other artist have been doing! One of my painting will be "I Can Do It My Self", [shown below] a smaller casein on paper. Hope to see you there!

Painting a Dog a Day by Kimberly Kelly Santini

"Saratoga Stripes, #2," from the Saratoga Series, 6" x 8", acrylic equine painting on canvasboard depicting a racehorse in the paddock at Saratoga Race Track in New York, $349 to the first one under the wire. Inquiries may always come to me.

SOLD.

Last summer I was able to visit Saratoga with two great friends and fellow artists. We hung at the track, gallery hopped, and had a genuinely delightful weekend. They were reminescing last night, and it got me thinking about the energy we were a part of for those few days. The challenge I set for myself was to capture the excitement in a relatively static composition.

I'm pleased to no end with the results of this painting, which represents another breakthrough in my neverending search to better understanding of color and distance. I'm handicapped in this due to my heavy reliance on reference photos (because I prefer to paint animals, uncooperative as they may be). The camera treats everything in the viewfinder with an equal balance of color saturation and value assignment - but the human eye sees life very differently. Painting from life has helped me to add truer color and value ranges to my paintings, even when I'm working primarily from photographs.

It's starting to all come together. A wonderful way to start the New Year!

There are a few minor adjustments I will make to this piece - it never fails, once the painting is dry and scanned, I see something I want to tweek. The edge on the far haunch is a wee bit too sharp, that gate has to go back further and I want to soften the shadow on the breeches.

Thanks, as always, for looking at - and sharing - my artwork with your friends and family.

Kim

ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

www.paintingadogaday.com

SHOP ORIGINALS & LIMITED EDITION GICLEES: at my Etsy shop

ORDER CUSTOMIZED NOTECARDS & REPRODUCTIONS: at Imagekind

COMMISSION A PET PORTRAIT: contact me

GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE: contact me

READING MATERIAL: Preview and order each of the Dog a Day books at the publisher's website: The First Year (2006-2007) and That's 14 in Dog Years (2008). If you would like your copy personalized, order them through me.

painting a Dog a Day by Kimberly Kelly Santini

(I know it's not a horse, but this is what I've been painting as of late - all dogs!)

"Tucker(ed Out)," almost finished, 12" x 16" (so he's larger than life), acrylic on Raymar panel, commissioned pet portrait of a black lab mix, private collection (THANK YOU!). Inquiries (including booking your own pet portrait, from miniature size [4" x 4"] to larger than life) may always come to me.

Well, if it looks like I made a lot of progress on Tucker's painting, I did. I was motivated and inspired to paint like the wind today, and went to the easel as soon as the sleep was out of my eyes. I put in quite a marathon, consequently skipping all paperwork and computer tasks this morning! My muse had shown up, and I wasn't letting her leave without proof of her visit.

My favorite part of this painting? Tucker's paw and leg carry a hint of green from romping in freshly mown grass, the face reflects the warmth of the decking, while the top of his head carries a hint of blue reflected from the sky.

Now this image is off to my clients for their approval. I'll also spend more time with Tucker (upsidedown and through a mirror), looking for minor tweaks and adjustments, before varnishing and sending him homeward.

I'm looking for some models - black and white, or all black or all white. If you think your furred friend would look good in paint, shoot me an email and we'll talk about it!

Thanks, as always, for looking at - and sharing - my artwork with your friends and family.

Kim

ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

www.paintingadogaday.com

SHOP ORIGINALS & LIMITED EDITION GICLEES: at my Etsy shop

ORDER CUSTOMIZED NOTECARDS & REPRODUCTIONS: at Imagekind

COMMISSION A PET PORTRAIT: contact me

GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE: contact me

READING MATERIAL: Preview and order each of the Dog a Day books at the publisher's website: The First Year (2006-2007) and That's 14 in Dog Years (2008). If you would like your copy personalized, order them through me.

Elin Pendleton, new business card

So much has happened in the last two months that it is hard to put it all into words. Suffice to say that I am going into the 2009 holiday season with a renewed spirit and being more upbeat and happier than I have been in many years! Right now I'm typing to you from (drum roll!) northern New Jersey (Ridgewood) where I'm spending the Christmas week with family and friends--at the opposite end from the 85 degree California weather! It is wonderful! Snow tonight--and I haven't had that for many a moon, and I'm looking forward to the pleasure of the cold, crisp crunch (reminding me of the skiing I used to do!) and comfortable with the knowledge that I don't have to live with it, nor shovel it.

Here's the new design for the postcards that I'll be using for the winter and early spring business cards. Those of you who have DVDs from me have the earlier, lighter green ones. These are all new paintings from 2009, and feature the first painting from the fourth, new DVD "Misty Light and Twilight". I'll have them when I return--amazing Internet!

I did bring my acrylics for this ten-day trip, and will be painting some still life works (the pears in the market here were SO beautiful!) and perhaps some SNOW scenes. Plein air is not an option because outside it is in the high 20s--and I don't have the gear for keeping them thawed. I've painted snow scenes plein air before, however I don't think Sparky would enjoy sitting around with his short little legs in a snowbank. Yes, he is with me, flying under the seat on the 747.

There are plans afoot for a three-day Color Boot Camp over President's Day Weekend (February 13-15) in 2010. Interested? Email me...

I hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas/Holiday time with people who care about you, and that you'll keep going with me as I stretch new wings into 2010.

You can see my entire blog HERE.
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Color System information can be found HERE.
If you need to email me directly, please click here.

Elemental, my dear Watson

I've been thinking about doing a series of "elemental" horse images for a while--featuring the four classic elements of earth, air, fire and water. I've been playing with this one for a couple of nights--guess which element this is?? I'll likely change and revise it yet more once I've thought about it for a while. Sometimes the images I'm excited about having created at night go into the "what was I thinking?" folder the next morning, but for the moment I feel this has potential.

As always with my work of late, it started as a photograph, then went elsewhere. There's a reason my business card says "reality is only a starting point"

Judy Wood

www.judywoodartphotography.com (website)

http://judywoodartphotography.blogspot.com (blog)

Painting a Dog a Day by Kimberly Kelly Santini (ok,so it's not a horse)

"Chiquita (Chihuahua Portrait)," 8" x 8", pet portrait of a Chihuahua done in acrylic on Ampersand Gessoboard, private collection. Inquiries may always come to me.

Who knows how many times Chiquita walked directly into the swimming pool, only to be surprised by the fact that, yes, it was a swimming pool, and no, she couldn't swim. So she wasn't the sharpest crayon in the box - but she was by far the favorite.

Chiquita passed away earlier this year, and this painting will be an absolute surprise come Christmas morning, as big a shock to her Mom as the cold swimming pool was to the old girl.

Thanks, as always, for looking at - and sharing - my artwork with your friends and family.

Kim

ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

www.paintingadogaday.com

PS Have you started your holiday shopping yet? Oh boy, do I have lots of places to send you:

SHOP ORIGINALS & LIMITED EDITION GICLEES: at my Etsy shop

ORDER CUSTOMIZED NOTECARDS & REPRODUCTIONS: at Imagekind

COMMISSION A PET PORTRAIT: contact me (I've got a couple holiday spots left)

GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE: contact me

READING MATERIAL: Preview and order each of the Dog a Day books at the publisher's website: The First Year (2006-2007) and That's 14 in Dog Years (2008). If you would like your copy personalized, order them through me.

Cool Down

Cool Down

by

Catherin McMillan

13" x 19" pastel on pastel board.

contact catherin  for more information on how to purchase this piece

Catherin McMillan

http://www.animalarthouse.com/