Six New Mini Original Ice Cream Paintings

 

Mini Strawberry Sauce, 7" x 5", acrylic on panel.

Happy Thursday! I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season! I've just finished six mini ice cream paintings that were just delivered to Hidell Brooks Gallery in Charlotte, North Carolina, and I thought I'd share them here. It was really nice to go back to painting some small pieces after spending months painting big ones. 

Check the Hidell Brooks website for availability. I hope they make you smile!

Mini Birthday Cake Cone, 7" x 5", acrylic on panel.

Mini Cookies and Cream, 7" x 5", acrylic on panel.

Mini Twist, 7" x 5", acrylic on panel.

Mini French Vanilla, 7" x 5", acrylic on panel.

Mini Cherry and Chocolate, 7"x 5", acrylic on panel.

It's Giving Tuesday - 10% off prints for you & 10% donated to the ASPCA

 

Happy Giving Tuesday! Just a reminder that 10% of all of my print sales goes directly to the ASCPA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). And through the end of the month, you can save 10% on prints on either my website or my Etsy store. Just use the code HAPPY10.

One more thing: For any original art sales this month, I'll make a personal donation of 5% of what I make to the ASPCA. 

I hope you'll also consider donating directly to the ASPCA or your favorite animal charity this Giving Tuesday! Thanks so much!

- KIM 

Special Announcement: 10% of Art Print Sales Will Be Donated to the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)

 

My two cats, ages 19 and 17-1/2.

Happy Friday after Thanksgiving, everyone! I have a special announcement. I've given myself a Christmas gift of sorts. It's been a dream of mine to make my art not only bring smiles to people's faces, but to also have a more measurable impact on some of the causes I care about. I've decided that from this point forward, 10% of all of my print sales will be directly donated to charity, and right now, that charity is the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). 

For me and my husband, our cats have been such a huge part of our lives. Both of our girls, shown above, were diagnosed with kidney disease in the last year and a half. They require a great deal of love and care, and we are happy to provide it for them. I am so grateful to everyone who has supported my art, especially now, as it has helped to pay for prescription food, medical bills and other expenses associated with keeping our kitties healthy and happy, enjoying their long and peaceful lives. 

Not every animal is loved and care for, though, and that is why the ASPCA has a special place in my heart, acting as a voice for the voiceless. I encourage you to visit their site and discover more about what they do, and consider donating directly to them. And, if you buy any prints from me through my website, you'll see a message indicating that 10% of the sales will be donated to the ASPCA. If you buy anything through my Etsy store instead, I'll make a donation directly based on the sale. 

ALSO, THROUGH THE END OF DECEMBER: If anyone buys an original painting of mine through Hidell Brooks Gallery, where all of my originals are carried, I'll personally donate 5% of my proceeds to the ASPCA.  

AND FINALLY, AS A SPECIAL END-OF-YEAR THANKS TO YOU: You can save an extra 10% on the prints, on top of the 10% that will be donated to the ASPCA. Just use the code HAPPY10, through December 9th. You can use this on my website or in my Etsy store.

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, that you take a few moments this busy weekend to appreciate what you have, and that you consider giving back in some way to those who need it and aren't able to stand up for themselves. 

Thank you again for your continued support as I keep making happy art! I've got some new things in the works, and I'm pretty excited to be able to bring them to you. Happy Holidays!

- KIM 

19 different Limited-Edition Prints available on my website.
10% of all sales will be donated to the ASPCA.

New Print Available - Chocolate Vanilla Fudge Ripple Triple Scoop Ice Cream Cone

 

Chocolate Vanilla Fudge Ripple Limited-edition Ice Cream Cone Print.
Size: 19" x 9.5". Printed on heavy-weight museum quality paper with archival inks. 

I'm happy to announce the release of my latest print: the Chocolate Vanilla Fudge Ripple Triple Scoop Ice Cream Cone, based on one of my original 2024 paintings. You can see me paint the original piece on my youtube channel here. Please note that the print itself is slightly smaller than the original painting. But it's still the tallest print I've ever made!

If you've followed my work and seen me talk about my prints before, you may remember that I'm very very particular about my prints. They aren't exact replicas of the original paintings, in part because I remove the original painted signature to better showcase the pencil signature, and I make sure the background is a super-clean white. So none of these are scan-and-go prints. I spend many hours editing them to perfection, trying to make each look as close to the feeling of the original painting as I can. I want them to look great on your walls, and so I treat each as their own work of art. I cut the paper by hand (which is super-tricky!), and ensure the colors are as close as possible to my original vision. It isn't easy. But that's the way I want things to be!

As for the original painting, I really loved working on this piece, in particular the fudge ripple, which was complicated but worth the time. Again, check out the video to see if you can figure out how I did it! Keep in mind that, as usual, I sculpted the original cone for the reference photo by hand in my kitchen. No stock imagery! It's always a bit of a mess, with a lot of trial-and-error and a lot of drips on my floor, but a few hundred photos later, and I find something I can work with. 

So for all of the chocolate lovers out there, this print is for you! Thanks for visiting!

Available on my website. 

First Look - Another New Giant New Ice Cream Cone Painting - Sunshine Sherbet

 

Sunshine Sherbet, acrylic on panel, 50" x 40". Soon to be available via Hidell Brooks Gallery.  

It's been a little bit since I've posted to my blog! I've been working furiously on some new large paintings (and some extra surprises), as well as taking care of two elderly kitties whom I just love so very much. It's a lot, and I just haven't had time to post, but I'm really happy to share this very cheerful giant ice cream cone painting that is on its way to Hidell Brooks Gallery. At 50" inches tall, it was quite daunting to work on, but I really enjoyed the colors, movement and sort of sculptural effect of the piece. It's important to me to get those really deep shadows of the folds of ice cream as well as the detailed icy highlights, but that extra little section of the three colors striped together in the middle, with a sort of wave, just gave this piece so much personality. I just felt like it was an explosion of sunshine, and I sincerely hope it makes you smile!

I have one more giant piece I'm working on that may take a bit more time. But I'm also working on six tiny ice creams, all 7" x 5", just for a change of pace to return to my roots of painting smaller art. I'll be sharing those soon. Thanks so much for visiting!

First Look at One of My New Giant Ice Cream Paintings - Sprinkles & Cherry Cone

 

Sprinkles & Cherry Cone, acrylic on panel, 48" x 36". Completed October 2024 and shipping soon to Hidell Brooks Gallery in Charlotte, North Carolina. 

Happy Saturday! I'm in the middle of finishing up three giant ice cream paintings that I'll hopefully be shipping soon to Hidell Brooks Gallery in Charlotte, so I haven't gotten a chance to keep up with new posts as much I'd like to. But I'm happy to share this first new cone here today! 

Sprinkles are always a challenge and time-consuming, but they really make such a difference in the feel of a piece. As with all my pieces, I sculpted the ice cream for the reference photo myself by hand. The cherry added just that final celebratory twist, and I decided to crop closer on the image for the painting, which cuts the picture plane in half but really make you feel like it's just you and this giant ice cream cone hanging out in a state of joy. 

I'll share a few behind-the-scenes images soon, and some images of the other two cones when they are finished, but for now, I hope this Sprinkles & Cherry Cone makes you smile! Thanks for looking!

See what else is currently available at Hidell Brooks Gallery. 

Video Clips of the Process of Painting a Giant Hot Fudge Ice Cream Sundae

 

Happy Friday! I thought I'd share some video clips of the Giant Hot Fudge Ice Cream Sundae I painted in 2023 for my solo show at Hidell Brooks Gallery in Charlotte, North Carolina. This was a tricky one, both because of the soft whipped cream and the texture of the glass. I also sometimes change details that may be present in my reference photo, but that I think just won't look right in a painting. I did that here, actually, part-way through the painting. Working big is always a challenge, too, in part because I often have to make up the details to make things look convincing. 

This piece is sold, but I'm working on a couple of new big ones that should be shipping to HB soon. To see what other works I may have available, visit the HB website here.

Thanks for watching!

Hot Fudge Sundae, 50" x 40", acrylic on panel. SOLD.

Chocolate & Strawberry Sauce Duo October Print Sale

 

Happy Tuesday! For the rest of the month, you can get a super-sweet deal when you buy these two prints together, Chocolate Sauce and Strawberry Sauce, both borderless 16" x 12" limited-editions. These prints were based on two paintings that I did for my 2022 solo show at Hidell Brooks Gallery. For the reference photos I used, I actually made my own "soft serve" at home, which is tough to do, and pumped it into the cones using a pastry bag and decorating tip (since I don't have my own soft-serve machine!). But the I think the effect was pretty great, and then I added my own sauces to them, dripping down over the sides. 

The prints are pretty beautiful, if I do say so myself, and would add a great pop of color to any space.

So save 20% when you purchase the two through the link here. Thanks so much for looking!

Limited-edition ice cream prints by Kim Testone are available on her website. Each print is limited to 50, signed and numbered in pencil, and printed with archival inks on heavy-weight, museum-quality paper. Prints ship flat and free via FedEx (within the continental U.S.). 

Painting a Giant Strawberry Ice Cream Sundae in Acrylic

Happy Friday! Here's a short video showcasing clips of me painting the Strawberry Ice Cream Sundae for my 2023 solo show at Hidell Brooks Gallery in Charlotte, North Carolina. Acrylic on panel, 48" x 36", SOLD. 

I really loved all of the abstract shapes in this one, particularly when it comes to painting the ice cream behind the glass container. You'll also notice that I paint this one upside down at one point. I do this for a lot of my paintings because it helps me to see the shapes and colors more objectively, rather than trying to make them look like something. There's a great book that taught me this little trick years ago, although it was intended to be used for drawing, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards. I still find this book to be incredibly helpful even today, as it keeps my paintings more accurate and has taught me to see things differently as I work. 

Thanks for visiting!

Strawberry Sundae, acrylic on panel, 48" x 36", 2023. SOLD.

New Print Release - Cotton Candy Swirl Ice Cream Cone

 

Cotton Candy Swirl, now available as a limited-edition print.

Hot off the press! I'm excited to announce that my Cotton Candy Swirl painting is now available as a limited-edition print. I really loved painting the "swirl" on this one, and after many hours of work on getting the print just right, I'm super-happy with the final print result. 

If you are looking for a really colorful, cheerful piece of ice cream art, this might be the piece for you. Thanks so much for looking!

First print, coming off the printer!

Short Realistic Painting Video Demo of a Small Vanilla Rainbow Sprinkles Ice Cream Cone

 

Happy Monday! Here are short video clips of the process I used when painting the small vanilla cone with sprinkles, acrylic on panel, 16" x 12", completed earlier this year. Loved the drip on this one! Plus, it's actually a really great painting challenge to paint "white" ice cream on a white background. 

Sold through Hidell Brooks Gallery in Charlotte, North Carolina. Thanks for watching!

Small Vanilla with Sprinkles, acrylic on panel, 16" x 12". Sold.