I've loved and lived with animals my whole life. When I was learning to paint, I used friends' pets as subjects and over time it was something I just kept coming back to. There's nothing quite like surprising someone with a portrait of their dog, or helping someone remember a pet they've lost and loved and seeing them again in their prime.

I work in watercolor and soft pastel, and I choose the medium based on each animal's coat and character. Watercolor has always been my primary medium but I began incorporating soft pastel and pastel pencil as they capture color shifts and depth in a coat beautifully. I can think of no better way to spend an afternoon than studying the spirit of an animal and trying to capture it perfectly on paper.

If you'd like me to paint yours or someone’s you know, I'd love to hear from you!