I have always been drawn to birds because they represent freedom to me. It was this initial, natural love of birds that inspired my first animal artworks . . . inspired by the quirkiness of owls, the beauty of the stunning peacock, and the majestic soaring of a sparrow. I never set out to be an animal artist, but I create what MOVES me, which continues to be the awe-inspiring characteristics of animals.Whether it be an adorably fuzzy owl or the mighty buffalo, animals are captivating!
Digital mixed media is the best way to describe my artwork...it is a combination of graphic art, hand illustration, painting and photography that I combine digitally in Photoshop. Sometimes I begin with a pen & ink illustration, other times a painting or photograph and layer by layer, I create artwork with depth and intricacy.
I have always had a deep love for pets, especially cats. I collected cat figurines and wallpapered my room in cat posters when I was a child (I even had a “cat book” that was filled with magazine cutouts of every kind of cat you can imagine!) There have also been a few dogs that have stole my heart over the years, especially my basset hound, Wobley.
Right now our only pets are brother and sister cats that we adopted at 5 weeks old after their mom died in an accident. Nova is a seal point Siamese and Sparx is a flame point Siamese and they have a family of 6 that adores them! (Even my husband has a soft spot for them even though he is definitely a dog person!)
Since I was a young child, art has always been a passion, an outlet, and an expression for me. I have been a graphic designer for 15 years, and about 3 years ago I ventured into the art world on a whole new level, combining my “profession” with my passion.
The LION from my “Garden in the Wild” Series. The idea of this series is to combine the natural beauty of the garden with the intense beauty of animals . . . the lion is a striking piece that captures the essence of colliding those two worlds—power and beauty and grace all woven together.
The original Charlotte’s Web, Lion King, The Horse Whisperer
Awe & Wonder
Something new that I have started is creating custom pet portraits. My mom recently lost her dog of 13 years and I wanted to create something for her in his memory and it sparked a heart-warming and rewarding new side to my businesses! I use a technique that I call “digital oil painting” where the final product looks like an oil painting but it is all “painted” digitally. I know how important our furry family members are and I love to be able create something so personal and meaningful for someone.
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Outlaw Kritters has cool key chains for every day!