This is the whole story of how I accidentally fell into the business of pet portrait art, realized I loved it, and decided to stay.
I often think that the best things in life seem to find us by mistake. I sometimes stumble into some of the most wonderful opportunities, positions, and experiences without really planning to do so. There's something to be said for setting yourself up for these opportunities, but a lot more to be said for "right time, right place".
This is one of those stories.
When I was 15 years old, I had my heart set on attending a school trip to New York City. I was born and raised in a small town in Central Oregon, and my young self was hell-bent on seeing what else was out there. I was enamoured with the arts, and dreamed of being an artist in a big city like New York one day. I thought this trip would be a turning point in my life, and that every young artist absolutely had to visit the iconic city at least once.
I set out on fundraising for the trip, seeking support from others in my life with even a penny to spare. I offered to do chores, odd-jobs, and any other tasks that would earn me a quick buck. When I asked my high school Spanish teacher for support, she requested a drawing of her beloved Pitbull mix in return for a $20 donation. I was thrilled about the opportunity, and instantly got to work. Though I had never drawn a dog before, I was determined to get the job done.
After a practice run drawing a portrait of a German Shepard I had found online, I decided I was ready to attempt the final product. (Although looking back now, the practice portrait I had drawn was nothing short of terrible. But hey! We all start somewhere).
I worked tirelessly on this portrait, experimenting with different techniques and continuously reminding myself to be patient. Eventually, I pulled it off, and I proudly presented the finished portrait to my teacher.
She was overjoyed to see the finished portrait of her sweet pup. Her reaction really shocked me, and I started to realize that this might be something I could continue to do. I loved the happiness that my artwork had inspired, and I wanted to continue doing that. It was also incredibly gratifying to earn money in return for my hard work. At that point in my career, $20 was the most I had ever seen for a piece of mine.
Over the next few years, I continued to work sporadically with clients in my area to create custom pet portraits. Though this mostly included dogs, I eventually branched out into drawing cats, and even a horse! I absolutely loved learning about each pet, their life with their families, and seeing how much these animals mean to their owners.
As I got older and became busier with everyday life (graduating high school, moving away for college, working full-time jobs), it became more and more difficult to support my small portrait business. In the midst of my other commitments, art began to feel like a chore. I was very hypercritical of my work, and started feeling quite stressed about producing quality products for my clients. Because of this, I started to take long breaks from my work, only accepting commissions around the holidays and other special occasions.
Fortunately, as I am nearing the end of my university career, I am rekindling my passion for art. I am finding joy in creating again, and am absolutely loving working with my clients, learning about their pets, their personalities, and everything in between. I have recently started working with soft pastels, which marks my first media change in 8 years!
(Now I can do these fun colorful backgrounds in my portraits!)
I am so excited to see where this adventure will take me, and I'm going to let the process continue to surprise me. After all, you never know what's right around the corner.
By the way, this husky portrait is currently up for sale. Contact me if you want to purchase the original!
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