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| Velvette, me and Joe |
hippy-hearted • animal lover • pet portrait artist • pet loss go-to girl • animal advocate • pet photographer • writer • teacher of animal spirituality • reader of interesting books • fascinated by horse-human relationships • HSP
One of my earliest memories is wanting to be able to draw well. I started a horse and dog scrapbook when I was 8 and collected hundreds of magazine images of my favourite animals. That turned to doodling in school books and later I took art at school. It never occurred to me to draw animals until I was commissioned to do a portrait of an Arabian horse for someone I knew. She figured that since I'd been to art school I should probably be able to draw her horse. That was in 1993 and I haven't looked back. I discovered a natural talent for drawing animals. This was hardly surprising as I'd been horse mad as a teenager and growing up on a small farm with a troop of dogs, cows and a host of other animals had obviously influenced me.
Over the years I've realised that it's the human-animal bond that I enjoy most when it comes to creating pet portraits. I never tire of hearing the stories people tell of their animals and the relationships they have with them. I've marveled how complete strangers have opened up to me, shared their stories, cried and laughed. I've felt honoured and privileged to be chosen to create a keepsake that will keep the memory of a special animal friend alive for them.
