Thank you for visiting my website. I am an artist, amateur photographer and self-published author/illustrator from the UK. I have lived in the USA for about 17 years, mostly in Oregon and now on Bainbridge Island, Washington. I live here with my husband and two children. We are loving Island life so far. It is so calm and peaceful away from the hustle and bustle of city life. I am finding this place so inspiring, it is just so beautiful. I feel very lucky to be here. I always wanted to live by the sea.
I always loved art at school but I left it behind after leaving University and entering the world of work. Drawing and painting became a thing I once did. However, when my kids became more independent, I found myself wanting to create and fill my time with something for me. I painted a lot of flowers I seem to remember, then one day I painted my dog, Tinker, then I painted some friends' dogs....I couldn't seem to stop painting every cute dog I met! Eventually, these practice paintings led to many commissions. I really love painting pets and seeing the reactions of the owners when they receive the finished piece.
As well as pet portraits I love to paint animals, birds and flowers. Painting is a form of therapy for me. I am able to escape for a while and immerse myself in my art, usually with my favourite music playing and my cat and dog by my side. I try to use my own photographs as inspiration as much as I can.
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In November and December 2020 I was the featured artist at Pegasus Coffee House on the Island and in the summer of 2022 I was honoured to be featured artist on the walls of Streamliner Diner. I am currently their featured artist again and will be until the middle of November 2024.
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In 2018 I self-published a children's book, Cutie's Big Adventures, on Blurb, but in 2022 I updated and revised it. My book is now available on Amazon as a paperback and as a Kindle edition. It is a sweet little rhyming book with colourful illustrations, inspired by our much-loved guinea pig, Cutie.
Since finding places to sell my artwork proved difficult, I found out that I could upload photographs of my paintings to various printing sites and make them available for sale on many different products. These include prints, bags, t-shirts, postcards, pillows and many, many more! My artwork is available on Zazzle, Cafepress, RedBubble, TeePublic and a couple of items are on Amazon. I love that my artwork can be chosen, all over the world, to grace a home or to be worn on an item of clothing. It always makes my day and I feel very honoured.
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I am very active on social media. I get to interact with some really lovely people and amazing artists who inspire and encourage every day. You can follow me on Instagram, and on my Facebook page.
Thank you again for visiting!
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Kirsten :-)
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