Whoa...Over 180,000 views on This TikTok Video of My Daydreamer Painting

More than 180,000 views, more than 40,000 likes, thousands of shares and hundreds of comments. 

I am so grateful to all of the wonderful people on TikTok who have enjoyed the close-up video of my latest Cookie Landscape painting, The Daydreamer, acrylic on panel, 24" x 24". There have been so many kind and encouraging comments that I haven't even had time to respond to them all. 

If you haven't seen the video yet, please check it out here. And if you're interested, take some time to read a few of the comments, because I think it's pretty encouraging when you see how many nice people are out there.

Also, by request, I'll hopefully be releasing an open-edition print of this piece soon. After that, the original will be part of my March 2026 solo show at Hidell Brooks Gallery.

Thank you again for all of your kindness and support! I have so many more paintings I want to do, and it is so encouraging to know they are starting to connect with people. Thank you.

- Kim 

Did I just drop my first 24" x 18" ice cream cone print? Yes, Ma'am!

Celebration Cone, an open-edition signed art print, available in 2 sizes: 16" x 12" and 24" x 18" (pre-order only right now for the large size; large size will ship rolled in a tube).

Something I've been asked a lot about over the years is, will you ever make larger prints? My answer was always maybe, someday. But I'm happy to share that I'm dropping my first larger open-edition art print of Celebration Cone, at a 24" x 18" size (pre-order only right now) as well as a 16" x 12". This print is signed and titled, and printed on heavy museum-quality photo-rag paper using archival inks for longevity. The print is borderless.

So if you'd like a big pop of fun and color on your happy walls, check out the new drop!

This will also be the featured print for my Mini Ice Cream Print Club for November, which you'll get if you join between October 1 and October 31. That is a signed, open-edition print at 7" x 5", which will ship via snail mail in mid-November.

Happy Art for Happy Walls! Thanks for visiting!

- KIM 

Last Day to Get the Strawberry Scoops Mini Print When Your Join My Mini Monthly Ice Cream Print Club

 

Join the Mini Monthly Ice Cream Art Print Club

Okay, I get it, I'm talking a lot about my new print club for my ice cream paintings. But you know what? It's kind of awesome. The prints are kind of awesome. And it's a sweet way to start collecting some really amazing art (if I do say so myself!) at an affordable price. Plus, the whole snail mail concept -- retro, super cool, whatever you want to say about it -- but I like to think it helps to connect us all in a way that social media and the internet just can't do. You can read some more about why I did this snail mail project here. 

So yeah, last day! Last day to sign up to get next month's print is always going to be the last day of the previous month. Get Strawberry Scoops sent to you in mid-October when you sign up by the end of the day today. 

As always, thanks for your kindness and support. Please share my happy art with anyone you think needs a pick-me-up, calorie-free. I do my best to bring some extra smiles into the world. 

- KIM 

Why I Made a Snail Mail Art Print Club

Join by September 30 to get the first mini print drop, Strawberry Scoops, sent to you via snail mail in October.


Short Story Time: So a couple of weeks ago, I announced that I was creating a Monthly Snail Mail Art Print Club, where you can get miniature prints (usually around 7" x 5") sent to your mailbox every month via snail mail. It makes things affordable for you and for me and enables me to share my happy art with more people, which is always the goal. But that's not the only reason.

When I went away to college, my grandmother wrote a short letter to me religiously every week. It was never about anything particularly significant -- often about the weather, or what she and my grandpap were doing in the garden, or how they were excited for upcoming holidays. I was a very lonely 18-year-old, who had uprooted myself from my small-town, shy ways, and I had a difficult time adjusting. Opening my mailbox in the college mailroom and getting that flowery stationery from my grandma each week just lifted my spirits. It made me feel like someone cared. Though I never told her how much they meant to me, I saved every letter she wrote, and still have them decades later, in a carefully treasured box. 

The world is in a difficult state right now. We are all trying to navigate some very challenging times. Just getting a little boost of joy like a piece of happy snail is something that I feel can make a very small difference. I'm just an artist; I've dedicated myself to making happy art. So whether you get a painting, a print, or just follow my work on my website or social media, I want you to know that I paint from a place of sincerity, calling on all of the voices in my life that have loved me and taught me to look for the happy moments.

I appreciate your interest in my work. I hope it lifts you up. I hope you see through the dark times and look for the light. I hope you take this as encouragement to stay positive and do something kind today, because that type of behavior is ultimately what will really change the world. 

Or hey, maybe you just like ice cream and want to see it on your desk or walls! I can help with that. 

- KIM

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

Follow Me:

Kim Testone Contemporary Art (@kimtestoneartist) | TikTok

Instagram

How I Go From a Sketched Idea to a Fully Realized Painting

 

A quick pencil sketch from my sketchbook, that became my in-progress "Butterflies in the Sky" painting below.

Still a work in progress..."Butterflies in the Sky," acrylic on panel, 24" x 24". 

The sketch at the top of the page here took me all of about 30 seconds, with a few notes added in the seconds afterward. I generally keep my sketchbook near me, whether I'm doing household chores, preparing meals or painting. My ideas appear as out-of-the-blue epiphanies, as a flash, and I get them down as quickly as possible, then move on with my day. 

When it comes time to decide what I'll be working on next, I flip through my sketchbook, and consider which of my sketches are worthy of being developed. Then it becomes a more refined color sketch, and after that, for my Cookie Landscape paintings, I bake and decorate the scene, photograph it, and proceed to the many hours -- often hundreds of hours -- of the painting process. 

I'm really loving working on these Cookie Landscapes. They enable me to be endlessly creative, and hone my technical skills as well. From across the room, they really look quite magical, quite dimensional (despite being totally flat), and that challenge of being able to create a painting that isn't just fun and beautiful, but one that can also trick people into thinking that there is some sort of dimension or texture, it really excites me as an artist. 

If you like these works and want to see more, I post my daily progress frequently to TikTok and to my Instagram stories. If you want to see full process videos, I post those, too, when the pieces are done. You can check out my latest one, showing the process of designing, baking, decorating, then painting "Here Comes the Sun" on my Instagram. 

Thanks so much for visiting! 

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!

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 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 Fine Art Open 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 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.

New Print Release - Cotton Candy Swirl Ice Cream Cone

 

Cotton Candy Swirl, now available as an open-edition print.

Hot off the press! I'm excited to announce that my Cotton Candy Swirl painting is now available as an open-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.

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.