Painting Animals

First I loved animals. Now I love painting them. There’s no doubt about it. I love the precense, play, companionship of animals. I’m drawn to their eyes and expressions. I’m curious about how to navigate communication with different species. My family always had a dog but when my family made the move from the city to a country home, I was bribed with a promise of a kitten because it was the only thing that would convince me that life in the country was better than the city. That was the beginning of my life with not only dogs but cats- which has fueled my paintings of cats, dogs, wild animals, birds, forest animals, ocean animals… and it’s always their eyes, the tilt of their heads, the expressions that draw me in. Where will I go with this subject? I sense a book somewhere in the near future and I’m happy animal portraits already hang on some walls. I don’t know where all my pictures will land when the spark to create them strikes, but I do know that I keep on painting and studying animals because of my love for them. What do you love? Animals, flowers, cars, stories, architecture, sailboats, cooking…whatever it is, take the time to enjoy and study. Learn and enjoy; return again and again. It’s worth it.