My Latest TikTok Video of Me Painting Just Surpassed 10,000 Views

Check out the TikTok video here.

Hey folks, I'm happy to share that my latest TikTok video just passed 10,000 views - with over 1500 likes and 65 saves. Now, that might not seem like much in the grand scheme of the social media art world, but for someone like me, it's amazing! I'm so happy that this latest painting -- The Daydreamer, 24" x 24", acrylic on panel, still in progress -- has connected with so many people! Whether they enjoy the colors, the theme, the appearance of something that looks three-dimensional but is actually flat, or just something they can't quite put their finger on, having that many people enjoying my work makes me feel like these new cookie landscape paintings of mine are heading in the right direction.

That is quite honestly a tough thing for an artist -- to know if there's anyone out there who will actually like our work or connect with it in a meaningful way. We artists, we're kind of loners, making art in the quiet little corners of our homes with almost no one else seeing it, until we begin to share things in places like social media. 

Taking on this new body of work is quite a big risk for me, personally and professionally. I've been painting ice cream and other traditional still life for a long time, and while I'll still keep painting those on occasion (after I finish the cookie landscapes for my March 2026 solo show at Hidell Brooks Gallery), trying something that I think is totally unique to me, that gets better with each piece I paint, and that unleashes a creativity in me that I can't quite describe, it's a good feeling. 

I am very grateful for every like or encouraging comment. Thank you for your support as I continue to grow and build my work. I've got a lot planned!

-KIM

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Want to see how I make my Cookie Landscape Paintings?

Hey folks, if you are interested in following the daily progress of my Cookie Landscape painting series, which I'll be debuting at my March 2026 solo show at Hidell Brooks Gallery in Charlotte, North Carolina, make sure you check in on my TikTok or my Instagram stories to see the latest (remember that the Instagram stories are only up for 24 hours, so to see all of the clips, check my TikTok). 

Check out the latest video, where I show you some insights about the complicated planning stages for the cookie/frosting paintings. In case you are curious, there's no AI of any kind here! Just my brain and a bit of imagination creating a good old-fashioned sketch and color sketch, followed by me baking and decorating a real cookie/frosting scene, then spending many many hours painting it. 

Like this one, still in progress: Butterflies in the Sky, 24" x 24", acrylic on panel.

Check out my latest behind-the-scenes video if you want to see the crazy process I have for making the models for my Cookie Landscape paintings. This one, Butterflies in the Sky, is still a work in progress!

I hope these paintings bring a little bit of joy into your life! Thanks as always for your interest!

New Prints of Old Paintings - Toy Cars and Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich

Toy Cars, new 8" x 8" limited-edition print now available. Based on a 2016 painting.

 

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich, new 12" x 16" limited-edition print now available. Based on a 2020 painting.

Happy weekend, everyone! I'm happy to announce that I'm releasing prints of a couple of old-school paintings I did - Toy Cars (from 2016) and Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich (from 2020). Both of these limited-edition prints are now available on my website.

Hope they make you smile! Thanks for looking!
 

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...

 

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.

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.

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.

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.

Step by Step Short Acrylic Painting Demo Video of the Cotton Candy Swirl Ice Cream Cone

 

Happy Tuesday! Here's a short painting demo video showing some of the steps I used to paint a 16" x 12" Cotton Candy Swirl Ice Cream Cone, acrylic on panel. When taking reference photos for this one, I happened upon this one lucky scoop that included that lovely bullseye swirl. Since I was quite sure I'd never be able to scoop something like this again, I had to paint it! 

The original piece has been sold through Hidell Brooks Gallery in Charlotte, North Carolina. You can click here to see what other original paintings I may have available. Thanks for looking!

Cotton Candy Swirl, acrylic on panel, 16" x 12", by Kim Testone. Sold.

 

New Paintings Framed and Available at Hidell Brooks Gallery

 

Newly framed paintings from Kim Testone.
Available at Hidell Brooks Gallery in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Happy weekend! Hidell Brooks Gallery just got these two recent paintings of mine back from the framer, so they are ready to go. Love seeing my work when it's framed. Just gives it such a finished look. 

Pricing and availability here. Both are 16" x 12", acrylic on panel. Thanks for visiting!

Fudge Ripple, acrylic on panel, 16" x 12". Available at Hidell Brooks Gallery.

Orange & Yellow Sherbet, acrylic on panel, 16" x 12". Available at Hidell Brooks Gallery.

Step by Step Video Demo Painting a Strawberry Raspberry Vanilla Triple Scoop Ice Cream Cone in Acrylic

 

Happy Wednesday! I thought I'd share another short video demonstration, this time painting this Raspberry Swirl, Vanilla, Strawberry Triple Scoop cone. As with all my pieces, I used my own reference photo, after having sculpted numerous ice cream combinations with my bare hands and some kitchen tools. The drip of the vanilla down through the strawberry and onto the cone give this piece a little personality and feel for how it was starting to melt. This piece took about 50 to 60 hours to complete.

The original 24" x 12" acrylic on panel painting has been sold. You can see what other works I may have available at Hidell Brooks Gallery here. 

Thanks for watching!

Summer Triple Scoop, acrylic on panel, 24" x 12". SOLD.

Video Clips of Working on Large Ice Cream Paintings

 

Happy Saturday! Since I'm working on some large pieces right now (minimum four feet tall), I thought I'd share a little compilation of some clips of me working on previous large projects, plus I have one current one thrown in there. Working on the large ice cream paintings is always a different type of challenge than the small ones. I have to essentially make up a lot of the details, so they can take on a more convincing presence, thus I think of these as more hyperrealistic. But I think the big paintings better serve the goal of trying to make the viewer feel as happy as a little kid, looking up at a giant ice cream cone or sundae. 

Anyway, hope you enjoy! Thanks for stopping by!

Short Step by Step Acrylic Painting Video Demo of the Strawberry Crunch Ice Cream Bar

 

Hope everyone is having a good weekend! I just thought I'd share the video I've just posted to my new YouTube channel of the steps I used in painting this year's Strawberry Crunch Bar, acrylic on panel, 24" x 18", available at Hidell Brooks Gallery in Charlotte, North Carolina.

This was a super-complicated piece, and there isn't really any way to make it easier to paint. Just piece by piece by piece. I actually started on this piece in May 2023, then abandoned it for a full year, thinking I'd taken too much on. But I decided to persevere, and here it is! I hope you enjoy watching! Thanks for stopping by!

Strawberry Crunch Bar, acrylic on panel, 24" x 18". Available at Hidell Brooks Gallery.

Short Step by Step Acrylic Painting Video Demo of a Chocolate Vanilla Fudge Ripple Ice Cream Cone

Here's are some video clips of me recently painting this 24" x 12" Chocolate Vanilla Fudge Ripple Triple Scoop Ice Cream Cone, acrylic on panel. I loved working on this one, though it did require a lot of extra time, particularly the details in the ripples of fudge. In all, it took about 50 to 60 hours to complete. Thanks for looking!

Chocolate Vanilla Fudge Ripple Triple Scoop, acrylic on panel, 24" x 12", by Kim Testone.

Short Step by Step Acrylic Painting Video Demo of the Orange & Yellow Sherbet Ice Cream Cone

 

Here are some short clips of me painting the Orange & Yellow Sherbet Cone, acrylic on panel, 16" x 12", showing the progression from beginning to end. My paintings always consist of layers over layers, clarifying the shapes and colors as I go. I hope you enjoy! Thanks for watching! 

Happy Inspiration for the Orange & Yellow Sherbet Painting

 

Orange & Yellow Sherbet Cone, acrylic on panel, 16" x 12".

I thought I'd share a quick post this morning, to get myself back in the groove of sharing on my blog. It's just some thoughts on finding inspiration for your painting, or at least where I find mine. 

There's a very famous saying from the amazing artist Chuck Close: "Inspiration is amateurs. The rest of us just show up and get to work." I do certainly believe this. I don't wait for lighting to strike before I start on a project. I work every day no matter what my mood is. But when I think about inspiration, it's not so much about being inspired to begin an individual project. Instead, I try to open myself to inspiration all day every day, so that the ideas and designs start to naturally percolate in my little brain. Then, once I'm started on something, I try to find a bit of inspiration around me to help me keep things going. 

For me, finding ways to get inspired every day doesn't mean traveling far away or having grand experiences. I'm a collector, I like vintage items, and so I like to surround myself with things I love in my home so that each time I see them, I feel a little bit uplifted. Though it may be surprising, I actually have a lovely collection of vintage items from McDonald's. 

Now, I haven't eaten McDonald's food in many years, but I love the toys and marketing promotions from decades past - long past, like 70s and 80s. I have pleasant and happy memories of the occasional trip to McDonald's with my family, or when my aunt worked there in the late 70s and early 80s and would bring the Happy Meal Toys home to my sister and me. 

Not too long ago, my husband bought me a vintage McDonald's mug, from 1977, that was exactly like a mug my grandpap used to have. I suspect it was something my aunt had brought to him, but I always remember it being in my grandparents' kitchen. 

Vintage 1977 McDonald's mug.

When I was working on the reference image files for the Orange & Yellow Sherbet Cone, this mug was sitting on a shelf within my eyesight. Not only did the colors coordinate exactly with my painting, which ultimately helped me select and edit the final reference photo in my Photoshop program, but the cheerful presentation kept reminding me to keep the piece happy and cheerful as I painted it, so that every day it seemed like it was saying, "Good Morning!". 

Anyway, I hope the painting makes you smile and maybe feel a bit uplifted. Thanks so much for stopping by! Painting is available at Hidell Brooks Gallery. 

16 Recent Happy Hyperrealistic Ice Cream Paintings

 

Hey there, I've put together a little video slideshow of 16 of my most recent happy ice cream paintings, from late 2023 to today. It's nice to see them all together because it helps me to see how far I've come. 

Some of the paintings are very recent and still available. Most of them have been sold. Please feel free to visit Hidell Brooks Gallery in Charlotte, North Carolina, either online or in person to see what's left. 

Thanks so much for visiting! Hope they make you smile!

Painting a Caramel Swirl Ice Cream Cone - Step by Step

Caramel Swirl Ice Cream Cone, 28"x20", acrylic on panel, 2023.

When I paint, I often try to tackle some really complicated pieces. This caramel swirl ice cream cone painting, which I just finished this week, was one of those! Painting something with so many elements requires lots of layers and lots of patience. If you've followed my paintings before on social media or years ago on this blog, you may be aware that I build the paintings up from back to front, refining the layers, details and colors as I go, rather than painting from left to right. 

So below are some images of the major steps in building the layers of this piece. It will be shipping to Hidell Brooks Gallery in January, to be a part of one of their pop-up shows. Thanks so much for looking!

Rough-in the shapes. It's complicated, so this is just like laying the foundation for the puzzle, so I know where everything fits. 

I like to clarify my shapes by finding the darkest areas first. This is particularly relevant because I build the painting from back to front, so I prefer to establish the darks and layer on the lights later. 

More defining of shapes, adding in the bottom part of the ice cream and the cone. It's tough to not get lost, but if I rush this part it will be so much harder later.

Beginning to glaze in the colors. My paintings are rarely made of just solid flat colors. Instead, they are layer upon layer of color that ever-so-slightly allows the light to move through the layers and bounce back at the viewer, providing more dimension to the pieces in person. This is also a time to continue both refining the shapes and giving them dimension, even the small parts.

Most of the major parts are here, but to make it look more real and dimensional, there are still a lot of shapes and colors that need refining with added layers. 

Final 28" x 20" acrylic painting. This painting will be available via Hidell Brooks Gallery soon. It was definitely complicated, but as with every painting, I learned a lot in the process that I'll carry on to future works. Thanks for looking!

Step by Step Slideshow of Vices Painting - Diet Coke, Mini Donuts, Hershey's Bar, Tobacco

"Vices," acrylic on panel, 20" x 16.

Click here to view the step-by-step slideshow of this painting on my Instagram page.

Thanks for visiting!