Now that I’ve ripped off the proverbial Band-Aid by publishing my first few posts, I feel like it would be a good time to let you know a little more about myself. I think if you asked someone who knows me to describe me, they’d say I’m the lady with all the dogs. This past Halloween one parent remarked (as I handed out candy with one foot hooked on the back of our front door, bracing the world against my curious gaggle of barking dogs): “So this is the dog house!” But I would have to correct them and tell you that I’m also the lady with some cats too-and they aren’t wallflowers 🙂

We have three dogs and two cats – Teelo, Riggs, Clicquot, Beesa, and Wiggis. They are the center of our little family and we kind of orbit around them making sure that everyone is healthy and happy (and for the dogs we also make sure they are tired so they will be extra good). They all have very specific likes and dislikes and wants and needs. To give you a taste: Beesa likes her senior cat citizen appetite-stimulating kibbles to be served 1 tbsp at a time with warm water (she’ll let you know when she’s ready for more). Clicquot likes to go to bed every night at 9pm. Wiggis likes to sit with my husband in the evening on the green couch. Teelo is scared of rolling dice and shuffling cards. Riggs will growl at you if you try to move him when he’s napping.

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Our animals have really been the basis for a lot of my painting inspiration, especially over the last year. I take so many pictures of our pets, I love action shots (usually napping shots work best however) and there will be one in a million that I will look at and think – that really captures the entirety of their personality in that one photo… That would be a cool painting… And then I let that kind of park in my semi-subconscious while I mull it over and when I’m ready… TADA! Well, it’s not always that easy but I do find that some of my best paintings (and sketches!) come about from months of thinking about a particular image and how I would work that out in a painting and then when I finally put brush to canvas all the work of thinking is done and the painting just flows…

When I draw or paint or spend time in my art room focused on my art, I really find that’s a form of meditation. I never really understood that part of yoga – being still and focusing inward. I was always more likely to fall asleep on my yoga mat than achieve a higher level of personal awareness. I’ve realized that when I’m painting, all I’m doing is being absolutely focused on my work. And when I am painting something that I love it’s a way to meditate on something that makes me very happy. I have found that to be incredibly fulfilling and I also find that it has resulted in me creating the very best work of my life. I’m looking forward to seeing how it evolves over the coming months and years and what subject matter I may turn to next and how this will all develop. I hope you will enjoy following me as I do :).

What inspires you to paint? Leave a message in the comments below 🙂 

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