An Introduction, Part 1

Ok, so who am I? And why am I starting a blog?

The first question I can answer ... maybe. LOL Well, at least I can tell you who I think I am, but whether or not I really know who I am has yet to be determined. :)

As for the second question, I can definitely say I have no idea. It's just a place to put down my thoughts, I suppose. I've tried keeping a regular journal in a physical book but, although I start it with enthusiasm, I never keep going with it for long. Maybe knowing someone might read this will motivate me to keep writing. Maybe not. Will you be the one who is disappointed? Or will I?

Ok, so back to the first question. This is who I think I am:

I am an artist. I am an animal lover. I am a nature lover. Specifically, I am a wildlife artist.

I was born in southern California, the daughter of a landscape painter and draftsman. My father loved to paint landscapes and do caligraphy. You know, I've never asked him why or where he got that from. Weird. In any case, I'm sure I picked up some of my artistic interest from him. As far back as I can remember I liked to draw, color, and paint. I drew so much that my parents couldn't keep enough paper in the house. I drew on practically any and every flat surface...well, that didn't get me grounded. My father, whose day job was that of a draftsman, often brought home huge stacks of used computer printer paper from his work for me to draw on the back of. This was in the days when computer printouts were on huge strips of perforated paper with holes along the sides for the printer feed, so the stacks could be quite large. (Yeah, you know I'm old now!) I had a voracious appetite for drawing and coloring and would make quick work of it. But it was the only way he could keep me from resorting to drawing on less desirable surfaces, like walls and tables.

My father was also a nature lover. One of his favorite shows to watch was Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, which I often watched with him. (Oh my! Now you really know how old I am!) He also enjoyed camping, fishing, hiking, and horse-back riding and often took me with him on such weekend outings.

As for the animal lover in me, well, that probably came from having so many pets. My father, despite being a nature lover, didn't actually like pets. My mother, however, loved them and wanted to rescue every abandoned animal in the world! At one point I think we had 13 cats, 5 dogs, a duck, a snake, and a turtle. And, I lived in a small suburban house, not a farm, so that was one crowded home!

This exposure to a combination to art, animals, and nature from an early age makes it seem only natural that wildlife art became one of my passions.

I had a little help from Walt Disney too.... (More on that in Part 2)