About The Artist
| I have been painting off and on since I could hold a brush,
though I have had no formal training beyond two university drawing
courses I managed to squeeze in on my way to a biology degree.
Animals have always been a favourite subject, since they are such a large
part of my life. Over the years, my menagerie has included equines, cats,
birds, rodents and assorted wildlife in distress, but always and
most importantly, there have been dogs. They have ranged from unwanted
mongrels to pure-bred show dogs, but each one has been special to me and
has his or her own place in my heart.
I am fortunate that my fascination with all sorts of furred and feathered creatures is shared by my husband and our children - at this time our pets include several Shelties, a Border Collie, two Scottish Deerhounds, two Boxers, two cats, two rabbits, two rats, and an African Grey Parrot. And since I finally managed to infect my husband with the "horse crazy germ" three years ago, we now have two horses as well. David's is a 16 year old Leopard Appaloosa gelding (the one thing he insisted on when we went horse shopping, was that he didn't want a horse "with spots"), who is gently and patiently showing him the ropes of riding and working with horses. Mine is a 4 year old Cheval Canadien, who is altogether too smart for his own good, but generally stops short of totally humiliating me. And of course, there's always room for one more - so that list is subject to change without notice! When I first started doing animal portraits I worked in pastels, but the dust started to bother me, so right now I am working with transparent watercolour most of the time. The paints I use are Schmincke Watercolours, which are famous for their rich pigments and excellent light fastness. I occasionally work on illustration board, but most of the time I use Arches Bright White 140lb watercolour paper, which combines just the right amount of absorption with a good sturdy surface that isn't easily damaged. I also occasionally work in charcoal, pencil or pen and ink. Having my studio in the main part of the house means that I have the company of a steady stream of kids, cats and dogs as I work, not to mention the occasional model, such as the salamander in "Pat's Critters" being deposited unceremoniously on my drafting table. It's often noisy, but never dull. I wouldn't have it any other way. |
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