Elin Pendleton in Georgia and Florida

I'm here on the East Coast for the next three weeks, teaching the workshop of Color Boot Camp returnees/repeat offenders (AKA "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Paints"). They have had almost five full days of rejuvenation, reflecting and reinforcement of the Color System, tempered with the laughter and shenanigans that only these "repeat offenders" can produce. I'm painting with them, but not in so much of demonstration mode but more to expand on topics already covered in the computer lectures and specific training for each boot camper's needs.

So I started this morning light 12 x 12 acrylic from Kentucky Horse Park source material, knowing that the deadline for the AAEA (American Academy of Equine Art) fall show is approaching.

There is so much to see and do here on the farm--over 700 acres of woods, pasture...and a new foal! This is Star and her new kidlet, and with a colorful mare and foal such as these two, you can imagine the fun it is to photograph and think about painting the different times of day with this subject!

I've already started an oil from one of my reference photos!

Georgia at this time of year is gorgeous, both in weather and in the warmth of the folks who call it home. I love coming here, and will be taking next week to teach the Florida group, then back to the farm here to introduce new "CBC recruits" to the Color System for Artists. There might be one spot left. I know the Florida group next week in Ocala has almost filled, too!

What a glorious life of an artist!!

You can see my entire blog HERE.My workshop schedule for 2010 is HERE.

Color System information can be found HERE.If you need to email me directly, please click here.

Painting a Dog a Day by Kimberly Kelly Santini

"Traffic," a Painted Sketch from the Saratoga Series, image approximately 10" wide by 6" high, Golden Open Acrylics on multimedia artboard, $129 to the first taker. Inquiries (including booking a commissioned pet portrait) may always come to me.

This is a continuation of yesterday's exploration of manipulation using sharp edges and bolder color. I'm enjoying the abstracted areas of the paintings just as much as I am the horses and jocks in the focal point.

Sad news on a couple different fronts today tempered my mood. Several clients emailed to share dogs passing away, another friend lost a family member, and my grandfather remains in the hospital with some serious health complications. All good reason to step back and linger with those I love, count my blessings, and pray for more.

Which means I'm off to whip up a wicked pot of risotto while the kids work on homework at the kitchen table and a thunderstorm rolls in. It'll start off a perfect night of enjoying each other's company.

Care to sip a glass of wine with me while I clean shrimp?

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

"In the Slop," from the Saratoga Series, 8" x 16", Golden Open Acrylics on Raymar panel, $529 to the first asking nicely. Inquiries (including booking your own pet portrait, from miniature size [4" x 4"] to larger than life) may always come to me.

A discussion (on Facebook) with fellow artist Bob Zirillo fed today's painting. He pointed out how the human eye really only follows one shape/form in a mass of many, and how artists can use this to their advantage when composing a story. We also talked about the differences inherant in painting a particular moment vs a timeless image, keys in determining which story elements are essential.

I took these ideas to the extreme with "In the Slop."

The gray horse is not in the lead, nor is he placed in the center of the canvas - but he is clearly the "one shape" we are all watching. Nor is there enough detail to recreate a specific moment; rather, the mood is about racing in general, and the viewer is free to bring their own memories/interpretation to the piece.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this concept. And this particular execution of said concept.

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

Two new paintings in process, above "Untitled, Green Silks" and below "Untitled, Adjustments," both from the Saratoga Series of paintings, each 11" x 8", done in Golden Open Acrylics on Raymar panels. Either painting will be available (hopefully tomorrow, when I finish them) for $529, with another 10% off if you are already own one of my paintings - inquiries may come to me.

I started out today with all sorts of grand schemes. Very little on my list actually got crossed off, but progress was made on many fronts.

Tomorrow I'll pick up again on these, and should time allow, work up several painted sketches for Derby Week as well.

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

Derby Day was my favorite when I was a kid. After all, it was the only time of year that horses and racing were on TV upwards of 2 hours. And during Derby Week the newspaper featured workout times and grainy black and white photographs of the favorites - great fodder for sketching and musing Saturday's outcome. As a horse-hungry child in those pre-cable and pre-internet days, this was a big deal indeed.

And now (for the fourth year running!) I celebrate Kentucky Derby week by turning the Dog a Day's into four-legged paintings of another sort.

We'll start the week off with a Daily Double:

"After the Finish," from the Saratoga Series, 8" x 7", Golden Open Acrylics on Raymar panel, $399. Inquiries (including booking your own pet portrait, from miniature size [4" x 4"] to larger than life) may always come to me.

"The Tote Board," from the Saratoga Series, 8" x 5", Golden Open Acrylics on Raymar Panel, $339. Inquiries (including booking your own pet portrait, from miniature size [4" x 4"] to larger than life) may always come to me.

When I sorted through photo references and painting ideas last night, I narrowed myself down to 9 compositions. We'll see how the pace of the week goes, but I would love to work through all 9.

Feel free to forward these paintings and share with another horse racing fan.

Thanks, as always,

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.

New Painting Done In The Spring

"A Winter's Day"       casein on board      12 x 12"

 

I know it spring here on the farm, but I have just finished this painting of a cob on a cold snowy winter's day. This is our chubby little princess 'Maggie'  [pictured above] and her ever present pile of hay. The girl lacks for nothing...except maybe a bit of work! This painting will be able through my website.

Today the mail brought me notification that two of my paintings have been accepted into the New Jersey Equine Artists' Associations "Art Of The Horse 2010" exhibit which will be hanging at the Somerset Art Association in Bedminster, NJ. The show opens My 20th and runs until June 20th. I hope that you can get a  chance to see the works there...some of the best equine art work around!!This show is only a short distance from the USET headquarters in Gladstone.A perfect location for an art-show featuring the horse!! One of the paintings is also a winter scene...and a Welsh Pony too.....

 

"First Snow -Revisited"        mixed media       8 x 10"

 

 

This fellow was our granddaughter's first pony.His name "Frolic". Old Frolly won the hearts of many young girls...and elder women too! One of those once in a life time treasures of a horse!

Some other news  [Things are happening at Cob Cottage Studio!!] is that  my watercolor titled "Hello"  has been chosen to grace the May cover of Equine Marketer magazine ! This is the second time this publicatio has asked for use of my work for cover art. I am very honored to do so again!

So now back to the studio. I am working on a hunter jumper painting..almost done, this is a 40 x 30" canvas work......and I am still working on a figurative commission.....that also is almost done.

But first the dogs need walking...

Nell is getting ready to get up from her nap!

 

Painting a Dog a Day by Kimberly Kelly Santini

"Stirrup," from the Saratoga Series, also my April entry in the Virtual pARTy, image approx 10" x 6", Golden Open Acrylics on multimedia artboard, depicting a Thoroughbred racehorse, $449 to the first taker.

For those of you who don't know about Virtual pARTy's, here's the lowdown - artists are given one reference photo and 24 hours to complete their artwork. All images, while derived from the same initial idea, are amazingly different. Take a peek at thereference photo here, bookmark the site, and then return next week to see the results.

So what was my focus with this painting? I wanted the glint of sunlight off the stirrup to summarize the excitement and activity in the paddock area prior to a race. Originally I had the background figures detailed and brighter, but their presence shifted the story's focus to the two horses. I wanted to paint the general suspense and anticipation, so pushed them back with layers of glazing.

If you look closely, you can see remnants of my first pass with the brush, sketching the forms into place and identifying the painting's edges. This paper allows me to layer without losing or compromising translucency and create a nice "window" to set up my composition. Another perk? it also reveals the layers of brushwork so I can build the most luscious surface ever.

Interested in a commissioned piece? They start at $29 - seriously (that'll get you a 4" x 4" loosely done painted sketch). Inquiries may always come to me.

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

Kim

ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

www.paintingadogaday.com

PS Don't forget my Etsy sale - 10% when you mention "MOM" during checkout.

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, Bonfires of Paintings

Did I mention that I was going to burn about one third of my body of work? Over 220 paintings went into a bonfire last week, and it was cleansing and freeing. I've been sorting through the work I have created over the last three decades, and decided it was time to cull the ones I wouldn't want around to be examples of my legacy.

Was it hard to do? Yes, and yet no. Seeing and evaluating each work on an individual basis was like going back in time... remembering the places I've been, the events surrounding each of the paintings. In that regard, it was hard. But for the quality of the work, it was easy. After all, who is going to know or care what I felt or thought while I painted that garbage piece? Most collectors only want the best works, and they want to know the back story on those paintings alone. The angst I felt when I struggled through (and never completed) poorly designed and poorly executed paintings is of no importance to anyone except me, and YOU. You? Yes, because everyone wants to know that even the good artists have cr*ppy paintings.

The image above is a 12 x 16 reworked from that pile of bonfire paintings. I demonstrated how to fix a lousy painting during the Fallbrook workshop yesterday, by painting over it using the Color System to change it from almost evening light to DEFINITELY evening light. This is now a survivor of the bonfire. Here is what it looked like before I pulled it from the flames....

I'm sending my stuff to Georgia tomorrow and am flying myself and Sparky there next Saturday for three week-long workshops to teach. Tons to do before that, and I'm SO looking forward to Georgia and Florida in Spring!!!

You can see my entire blog HERE.
My workshop schedule for 2010 is HERE.
Color System information can be found HERE.
If you need to email me directly, please click here.

Pondering by Catherin McMillan

Pondering

Ive been toying with the idea of doing a watercolour painting on one of the relatively new watercolour canvas's Id heard so much about.... Ive discovered that you really need to use thicker paint rather than the usual washes that Im used to with paper.

I can now say I have completed a watercolour on w/colour canvas.

Pondering 10" x 12" $250.00 + shipping

email me to purchase catherin@animalarthouse.com

Pay pal welcome
Catherin McMillan

http://www.animalarthouse.com/

painting a Dog a Day by Kimberly Kelly Santini

"Freedom," 9" x 12", Golden Open Acrylics on Ampersand Gessobord, not available for purchase - yet. This painting is part of my August 2010 exhibition at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, a show that will focus on rescued animals of all sizes. "Freedom" will be framed in gorgeous custom molding properly be-fitting an equine of such elegance, and you may purchase the piece through the BFAS contact for $649. 20% of all show sales will go to BFAS, another reason to add original artwork with meaning and value to your personal collection.

The "Happily Ever Afters" show will include paintings like "Freedom" along with text - I encourage you to submit your own experiences (and photos) via email for consideration. I've already completed 2 dozen new works and will continue to paint until I run out of time (my cut-off date is mid-July, after which I'll be busy framing and crating and arranging the logistics of getting the artwork to Utah).

I'm also assembling stories, like Nitro's (above), to include on plaques interspersed among the artwork, so that viewers walk away with both visual and mental pictures of how lives are touched by rescues.

You may send me photos (non-flash please) and your own experiences with rescue - I'll acknowledge receipt of your materials and let you know if I have any additional questions. If you don't have photos, that's ok too - stories are just as welcomed.

Thanks in advance for sharing yet another journey with me - this show will be tremendous, due in big part to the Dog-a-Day family of muses!

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.