Nita, Sketched & Painted ~~ Painting a Dog a Day by Kimberly Kelly Santini

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FROM TOP: "Nita," paper 7" x 10", image approximately 4" x 6-1/2", done on multimedia artboard, $79; "Nita's ZZZs," 5" x 8", done on a Raymar panel, $299. Both paintings were completed in Golden Open Acrylics, and both paintings are available for purchase. Please indicate in your email which piece you would like. BOTH SOLD (thank you!). Nita's baby picture was a finalist in Painting a Dog a Day's Valentine's Giveaway. And when her Mom followed up that pic with this one (scroll down to see my reference photo), how on earth could I resist? Except that things didn't go so smoothly the first time around. Working in a gray studio yesterday (the weather just has refused to cooperate as of late, no?) and being a lazy cheapskate, I tried forcing an old palette on the cusp of turning gummy to cooperate. It responded with lots of gray and mud (how fitting, right?). This is also a difficult pose to draw. I know, because I drew it again and again and again and could not get it right. The sketch has yesterday's poor attempt on it's verso. "Nita's ZZZs" was painted directly overtop my first failure. So I tossed the old palette paper (well, really, I hung it to dry to be repurposed as collage material) and went in search of inspiration. The library provided several new reads and The Man Child's evening symphonic concert filled me with a new soundtrack. Here's to perseverance and second chances! Thanks for sharing my artwork with your friends and family, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com Sketches vs Paintings I am often asked about the differences between sketches and paintings. While both are done in paint, sketches are on artists' paper while paintings are on a museum quality panel. Sketches are loosely rendered with a touch of whimsy, sometimes carrying playful, fantastic colors. Paintings include multiple layers of paint, more expressive and dense brushwork, and a finer sense of detail while still preserving an impressionistic style. Sketches need to be archivally framed for preservation. Paintings can be displayed as is, either on an easel, propped on a shelf, or slipped into a frame. There is no need to put a painting behind glass. Both are priced by size and complexity - sketches starting at $49 and paintings at $200. This gives me the flexibility to work with your budget while creating the perfect portrait. Email me and get your project on my calendar!