By now, many of you have probably heard of my daily project Painting a Dog a Day.  I’ve been creating one new dog painting each day since October 2006, and I’m well past the 100 paintings marker. 

The project has allowed me to experiment with various techniques and learn something new every single day.  I have seen my work improve tremendously during these past 8 months.

Initially I didn’t think of these pieces as marketable – they would simply exist as studies and lessons for myself.  But something about the little paintings has resonated with collectors, and they are selling.  Quickly. 

The project is chronicled in it’s entirety on my blog, and I developed a website (www.paintingadogaday.com) to explain the concept and answer any questions.  There’s also a newsgroup available by subscription, where each new painting shows up in your email box automatically (fill out the box below if you are interested in subscribing).

I’ve been grateful for some wonderful press coverage, both local and national.  That’s helped to expand my readership, which has helped to expand my thinking.  Which has paved the way for the latest chapter in the Painting a Dog a Day project – my partnership with Michigan based shelters and rescues.

The first full week of each month will be dedicated to profiling adoptable animals from participating animal shelters and rescue leagues.  Proceeds from these dog-a-day painting sales will be donated to the host shelters and rescues.  Additional information is available on the website, and questions can always come to me (ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com) .

Living in a small town (we number about 3,000) has many perks, but one which most people would not expect would include a delightful gallery space.  Lake Orion got just that and more this last year with the opening of the Flint Street Gallery.  Also moonlighting as Little Monsters Toy Shop, the premise of the space is that toy sales supplement the gallery space.

In February Flint Street Gallery hosted their first juried exhibition, which was met with great anticipation by artists and community members.  They followed the success of that show with a second juried exhibition that opened in late April. 

I encourage any of you who are in the area to stop by and visit with the artists and owners Christine and Leila.  Between the art and the toys (I am a little partial to the “nun-chuck”), you should have no problem walking out the door with a new purchase or two.

For more information on either Flint Street Gallery or Little Monsters, please call 248-814-8697.

I’m trying to keep up with technological advances.  In March, with the assistance of Margot van Horn from Margot's Gallery, I filmed a video short about my work.  It is currently being edited for local broadcasting. 

I would like to expand upon this footage and eventually include video shorts on my website as a means of introduction to my process and finished paintings.

Along those same lines, I’m also working out the logistics of installing a studio cam, and creating regular footage of the dog-a-day project.  These videos would supplement the blog and newsgroup.

And they would segue nicely into my next project – podcasting.  Stay tuned!!

Last year I worked on a committee that played a part in getting our downtown area and it's surrounding neighborhood added to the National Registry of Historic Districts.  I have a passion for our local history.

So it was inevitable that I would pick up this next project, the chronicling of the teachings of a well known local artist and inspiration Helen Cunniff.  Helen ran a gallery in Lake Orion for 25 years, and her art and teachings touched many.  Even 8 years after her death, Helen’s presence is still felt.

I purchased a sculpture of Helen's this last winter, and having a small piece of her in my studio got me thinking about what she might have been able to teach me, had we met.  Then I realized how easy it would be to learn from those who knew her.

With the support of the Orion Art Center, I will be collecting oral and written histories starring Helen, along with cataloging ephemera (including art).  While the end result of this research has yet to be determined (online publication vs printed materials), I have promised to partner with the Art Center.  Helen was a founding member, and her teachings should rest with them and be available for anyone wishing to find a little guidance (like myself).

If you have any Helen Cunniff stories you wish to share or photographs/artwork that should be catalogued, please contact me at ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com .  Thanks in advance!