Why I Paint Sugary Treats But Don't Eat Much Sugar - and a Tease for My New Project

 

Raspberry Sorbet, acrylic on panel, 16" x 12". Prints available on my website.

I recently donated a print of my Raspberry Sorbet to my old hometown as part of an art auction fundraiser. My mom said people were very complimentary (which is always nice to hear!), but that one of her friends said, "She must really like ice cream!" I don't think this is an uncommon reaction, but the truth is the three things I like most about working with sugary foods for my paintings the most are: 1. the sculptural quality, 2. the nostalgic quality, and 3. the colorful nature of it. The reality is I don't eat much sugar, but I find beauty in the foods that connect us to our past and incite a bit of imagination. 

Years ago, around 2012, when I began painting, I painted a body of work based on the concession areas of the baseball spring training stadiums my husband and I frequented. I made six very detailed, very complex oil paintings in all, featuring concession stand workers essentially doing their jobs or lost in a moment of thought. A couple were of stadium attendees. The paintings were good, some even won some prizes at local art shows. One was reprinted as a 20-foot-tall banner that hung at the exterior entry of an art organization's gallery for a year! I really enjoyed the work, and I still have all of the paintings in my personal collection (at my husband's request). I sold some prints (I may make them available again this spring), and I progressed a lot as a painter. But the thing I struggled with the most was taking photos of people for the references. 

Photographing places and people just wasn't pleasant for me. It made me feel like people were staring at me, wondering why this crazy lady was taking photos out in public. Occasionally, I got yelled at. I also couldn't control the lighting, or the crowds. So what I gradually ended up doing was moving to still life painting, and eventually I learned that I could control every aspect of the painting in my kitchen (and never fear getting yelled at!). 

One of my early paintings, around 2013, 24" x 12", oil on panel. Featuring a half-empty crowd shot of attendees to a Yankees spring training game in Tampa, Florida. Still in my personal collection.

Very soon, I'll begin sharing images of the new body of work I'm working on. And while it, too, is sugar-based, like the ice creams I'll continue to paint, the work is primarily about having something I can sculpt in my kitchen and create a bit of magic with on my painting panel. I really feel like it's the culmination of my work, from the baseball stadium paintings up through now. I'm building a world, the world in my head, the beautiful, happy, crazy thoughts that blend my visions from childhood to the state of things today. 

I'll begin by sharing these new pieces to my email list first. If you'd like to get the first previews, please feel free to sign up for my VIP list. Help me make some magic this year, and share a little happiness with the world. 

The 2025 Annual Art Mailer from Hidell Brooks Gallery

Such a nice way to start off the new year! I just received the annual mailer from Hidell Brooks Gallery in Charlotte, North Carolina. So pleased to see one of my ice cream paintings right in the middle, among so many wonderful works by other represented artists. Thank you to the ladies at Hidell Brooks! It will be a good year, with a lot of new stuff coming...

 

My Three Favorite Weird But Inspiring Holiday Movies

A number of years ago, I made a little recipe book (left) for members of my family that featured our traditional holiday cookie and dessert recipes. To illustrate the book, I photographed some of my old Christmas ornaments, like this little stained glass snowman, which I colored on with a pen when I was about 3 (he needed rosy cheeks, I thought). The other book is a well-worn gingerbread house book that belonged to my aunt. She helped me make my first holiday gingerbread house.

I love Christmas. I love just about everything about it. I experienced many beautiful, magical Christmases throughout my lifetime. But let's be honest. As adults, sometimes we can lose a little of our holiday spirit here and there. We're busy or stressed. Maybe something sad happened in the past year or something that just seemed to take the wind out of our sails. I'm an optimist, and I say that doesn't mean you can't right the ship a bit for the holidays. 

When I paint, I watch a lot of movies (as well as TV shows, youtube videos, etc.). Well, mostly, I listen to them, but I find myself coming back to certain ones over and over again that help to keep me in a positive mindset. After all, I am making happy art!

This month, I've enjoyed watching/listening to many holiday classics. From the cheesy Santa Claus movies to those that tug at the heartstrings, I've seen just about all of them. But there are three that stick out in my mind, that I'll watch multiple times each holiday season, and they help me to keep all the challenges of life in perspective, so I feel more in the holiday spirit and more appreciative of what I've been blessed with. 

My Three Favorite Weird Holiday Movies

1. The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017). Who doesn't love A Christmas Carol? I've read the original and seen just about every imaginative film retelling the tale. But The Man Who Invented Christmas is by far my favorite because it's about how A Christmas Carol was written by Charles Dickens way back in 1843. While I'm sure the film takes many creative liberties in presenting the story, the spirit of Charles Dickens and how he both developed the story and struggled with it deeply connects with the artist in me. I sent a DVD of this to my mom a few years ago, and she responded with, "Hmm, it's pretty dark..." True, I suppose, but for me, this is a film about overcoming both exterior and interior adversity to make something beautiful and meaningful. If you are a creative person, or a fan of other creators, I think you'll appreciate it. 

2. Last Holiday (2006). Starring Queen Latifah, this is not a traditional holiday film, but it takes place during the holiday season, and it is a funny and beautiful reflection on life and how we spend our time, facing the things we are afraid of, and choosing the make the most of each day. The main character discovers she only has three weeks to live and decides what she is going to do and who she is going to be in that time. It's a comedy, but it's also rooted in sincerity. It always holds me accountable and makes me choose to live each day better than the last. 

3. One Magic Christmas (1985). Okay, so this one is certainly one of the most obscure but perhaps most poignant holiday films out there. Starring Mary Steenburgen, it's about a struggling woman who learns about what is most important in life with the help of an angel. I don't want to spoil too much of it, but I'd encourage you to go in with an open mind and check it out. It's got some weirdness and some flaws, but the message of the film is important enough that I don't care about the flaws. So yeah, I'll watch it every year. You can stream it on Disney+.

And that's my list. Now, artistically, I've started a magical new group of paintings that I'll be presenting in 2025, something I'm really excited for and I am hoping will be seen as both an evolution in my work and a culmination of everything I've been doing for the last decade. But for now, that's a secret (though there is a little clue somewhere in this post!). Today, I'm just sharing these three weird holiday movies in the hopes that they will lift your spirits and give you a little bit of a new, more positive perspective on life. I sincerely hope you'll enjoy them! Happy Holidays! See you in 2025!

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.).