I started out as a professional dancer and fitness instructor, but where life leads us isn't always what we once dreamt of becoming. I have always had a need to create in some way or another, whether it was complicated dance choreography, making jewellery or continually rearranging my house and changing colour schemes. The artistic urge is always there, demanding to be taken seriously.
At school I always loved to draw and paint, but a career as an artist didn't unfortunately seem the best choice - far too many starving artists out there. However a chance meeting with a British pastel artist in Abu Dhabi, and lots of classes later, made me rethink my old dream.
In the beginning I was encouraged to draw everything and anything, homing skills and techniques, only later did I find my way into the Animal Portrait world.
I adore animals, almost an obsession family and friends will tell you, drawing landscapes and human portraits simply didn't move me, but give me an animal to capture on canvas and I spring into action. Therefore, in 2006 I set up this website and dedicated my time to perfecting my animal art work. To further enhance my knowledge, I took a course with the London College of Art that solely concentrated on Pet Portraiture.
So has the dream been fulfilled? Not quite, I still subsidize my art with my fitness instruction and thank goodness I have a husband with a "proper job". One day hopefully, in the not too distant future, I will be a full time artist - also show my skeptical husband that I can make a good living from art! In the meantime, I will be a "not quite" starving artist that is at least half fulfilling a dream.
I have lived abroad since 1993, following my husband in his career; moving countries every 3-4 years. It has been very interesting, some countries of course we loved more than others, but life has never been boring. We are now in Dubai and ready for the next adventure.
Below are "my babies"; my daughter and our four cats. Smarty was rescued from the streets of Abu Dhabi. Snickers, Rolo and Oreo rescued from a drain in the Philippines when they were two days old.
Smarty Snickers, Rolo & Oreo
Spot my three 'helpers'! Daughter Tamara
