I have always loved animals. As a little girl, I dreamed of being a vet or a wildlife documentary filmmaker or a wildlife researcher. Life took me in a different direction and my career focused on product and experience strategy. But I still felt pulled to animals. I’d address it in ways like my pets, volunteer opportunities, safari travels, and photography, but it never occurred to me to draw them. I had never drawn anything beyond stick figures and assumed I couldn’t do it.
In 2021 I watched a talk by a NatGeo explorer sketch biologist — she drew the animals she was studying in the field. For whatever reason, it lit a spark in me to try to draw the animals I loved so much. These are some of my first attempts:
I obviously had a long way to go, but with the help of some wonderful artists who share their tips and techniques on social media, over time I started improving. I found that my passion for the subject matter motivated me to keep practicing.
I started in graphite and in the summer of 2022 I discovered pastels. It’s now my medium of choice and I absolutely love trying to capture the likeness and essence of an animal with soft pastels.
I do wildlife portraits as well as pet portraits. I’m entirely self-taught and always learning.
