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 

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!

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.

 

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! 

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!