So I took a break....for about 5 years...

Once upon a time, I did art and I did it only for myself and friends. Anything I drew either ended up on my walls, on the walls of my friends and family, or in my black leather portfolio. It was nothing more than just a hobby and I was cool with that.

About 5 or 6 years ago I was at a crossroads in my life. I had started a little business called The Garden Consultant which is now my day job of landscape designer in 2000. But at the time my husband was active duty Coast Guard and there was this risk that we would move....far away from New England. So, I was trying to play it smart and formulate "Plan B" in case that happened and I would have to abandon the landscape design. Plan B was maybe I could be an artist and that would be something could move well. I attempted to do both until back surgery ended my husband's career in the Coast Guard.

The art waffled along as the landscape design career started to mushroom with the economic boom of real estate and the mid 2000's. Soon I didn't have time to spend more time drawing and drafting stuff...I wanted to be outside with my dog, Sam, or out gardening at my new house. But I think there was something else that pushed me away from drawing. I had taken on a couple of commissioned pieces for portraits of a couple of different dogs and then a horse. I learned that art for me is something I want to create on my own. I hated the idea of I had to draw something for someone....something that I had absolutely no personal connection to. Something that didn't tug at my creativity of "I must draw that." The first commission, I did know the pooches so that was doable for me. The other dog, I didn't and I just barely finished it for the deadline. I never started the horse one.

So, here we are....five years later. I hadn't picked up a pencil for art since 2004...I have a half finished drawing in my portfolio. I haven't touched it in 5 years. I just didn't feel the need to draw and I never delved into way that was. I do think commissions killed that desire in me for this long. Sam (the dog in my profile drawing) passed away this summer at the age of almost 11 after being sick for a long time. A couple of days after he died, all of a sudden the idea that I might draw again hit me. I don't know what or where it came from...maybe Sam telling me to get my drawing butt in gear...maybe it was the stress that had lifted. I had stuck a photo of my current Rottweiler, Lars, on my file cabinet when he was about 5 weeks old. I had always thought that some day I may draw him but the desire was never strong enough - until this fall.

I had picked up the pencils and a piece of my bristol paper and wondered was my gift still there and could I tap into it again. Much to my relief, it was and I have been chipping away at Lars' little fuzzy face. As I have gotten older (or maybe being an independant military wife) I have gotten more fearless about stuff and figured what the hell about starting up sharing my art beyond my walls, friends' walls and my portfolio. This time around, I don't expect my art to become my career. I just want to have fun with it, use it for fun money with Lars and the working/showing we do. It's nice not to feel that pressure like I did 5 years ago and I know now where I want it to go and do with it. I'm really excited about where the internet is and social networking that's out there today with my art versus 5 years ago. Not to metion, I'm way more business savvy now too. So, if it does well and takes off, great. If it just funds the dog stuff, that's great too. This is supposed to be fun and my creative outlet that doesn't haven't anything to do with landscape design.

I will be making updates on a weekly basis along with my other biz blog and the black and tan blog.

I hope you guys all enjoy!