Hi, I'm Lauren. I grew up living with all kinds of animals, from dogs and cats to rabbits and birds. We always had at least 4 dogs at a time throughout my whole childhood. When I got into middle school, my mom had established a pet sitting and grooming business. Naturally, I helped her with the pet sitting part. I absolutely loved running over to visit a clients dog or cat at their house.
I was always artistic. I used to draw little blob characters as a child and doodle figures wherever I was. I became interested in photography in middle school and developed my skills there until I graduated college. I was semi-successful at turning photography into a business. However, I realized that I enjoyed taking pictures for free rather than making it a job.
After college, I had some free time to explore drawing and painting. My first pet portrait was of my sister's German Shepard dog, Charlie. The feedback was tremendous! Naturally, I invested in some high quality pencils and paper and began drawing my family's pets for special occasions. It then turned into something I was getting paid for. And now I get to do my hobby for a living!