My drawings are a combination of my love for animals and art.
As a child I was my happiest at the local stables and walking the neighbours dogs. Those same dogs were also very patient models as I practiced my drawing skills.
On leaving school a career as an artist unfortunately didn’t seem the best choice, therefore my life took me down another avenue and my creative energy was channelled in the direction of dance.
However in 1997 whilst living in Abu Dhabi, a chance meeting with a British pastel artist made me rethink my old dream. I started taking classes in pastels and worked for a number of years in pastels drawing a variety of subjects, showing and selling my work with the Abu Dhabi art group.
Pet portraiture started completed by accident when we moved to Germany in the year 2000. I was working in a fitness studio and my boss agreed to show some of my artwork in her studio. On seeing the work, she asked me to do a pastel portrait of her two dogs, this developed into portraits of various friends pets, and the idea was born that perhaps this was an area I should pursue.
In 2001 I set up this Pet Portrait website and decided to dedicate my time to perfecting my animal art work. I had found my ideal subject matter but it wasn’t until completing a pet portraiture course with the London College of Art, that I found my ideal medium. On the course we completed portraits in a variety of mediums, which is when I discovered the amazing effects that could be achieved with a simple pencil. I loved the amount of detail I could achieve and the control I had over a portrait – yes I am a slight control freak! I packed the pastels away and got totally immersed in pencil and charcoal portraits. J.D Hillberry’s book “Drawing Realistic Textures in Pencil” was never far from my side – what a great artist he is, truly inspirational.
Now many years later, I am very happy that I am able to combine my love of animals with art. The thrill of challenging and pushing creativity never ends.
“You can’t hear your thoughts, your voice, without solitude”.
Below are my babies - Oreo, Snickers and Smarty. Read the story of how we got Oreo and Snickers here – My Three Miracles and why I am so passionate about Animal Welfare
