Listen and Learn ~~ Painting a Dog a Day by Kimberly Kelly Santini

ORDER NOTECARDS/REPRODUCTIONS

"Listen and Learn," 8" x 10", portrait of three kitties, done in Golden Open Acrylics on a Museumbord, part of "The Gratitude Project." This painting does not need to be framed, and can be added to your collection for $499 - collectors* qualify for a 10% discount. Email me for more information. This little black and white kitten was dumped, with his momma and several siblings at a friend's business last winter. He ventured into the music studio and warmed the laps of the instructors and students for a few days before going home with my friend. (The other cats, thankfully, were gathered and re-homed by other people in the area.) His furry siblings took him under their wings and taught him the ropes. In light of the many other cats and kittens who are without homes, proceeds from the sale of "Listen and Learn" will be donated to my shelter, the Oakland Pet Adoption Center. Do you have a rescue story to share? Please send it to me, along with photos of your special little (or big) one. You just might end up being featured on the Painting a Dog a Day blog!! (I'm especially partial now to compositions starring multiple muses, hint hint!!) Thanks for sharing my artwork with your friends and family, Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com *You are a collector if you already own an original painting of mine. Daily Paintworks The Color Challenge Regular readers of my newsletter and blog know I've been trying to participate in the weekly challenges set forth by the group of daily painters on the Daily Paintworks website (not to be confused with the Daily Painters group). Last week's challenge was especially intriguing, but last week's schedule did not allow me the opportunity to try it out. But I did so first thing this morning, with today's painting "Listen and Learn." The idea was that I choose a particular color scheme driven by the color wheel. I opted for a triad - blue, orange and green - three colors from the wheel that are equidistant from each other (meaning they form the corners of an equilateral triangle). Using a triad color scheme is a great way to anchor your composition in a realm of color harmony and create a stronger dialogue between the colors you choose. I think if you are an artist wanting to improve, it helps if you focus on one thing - like color, for example - and study and read up and experiment with as many different ideas as possible while you are formulating your own approach. And participating in regular challenges, regardless of whether they are structured or defined privately, is a great way to measure your progress and hold yourself accountable for growth. I love that the artists at Daily Paintworks are building weekly lessons in the form of challenges!