meet amber alexander

image copyright by and with kind permission of the artist

"Basically, I just love and respect animals and enjoy painting them and imagining they live lives very much like ours," Vermont artist Amber Alexander wrote. I'd just dropped her a line telling her I loved this piece. She titled it "My Baby," and adds this word picture:

A formal portrait of a very serious kitty who found a stray poodle-esque dog and adopted her as her own.
This kitty has a VERY strong nurturing instinct as normally these two probably wouldn't get along so well.
Kitty even carries her around in her dress, all the while referring to the little dog as "My Baby, My Baby". What luck to have found such a kind feline soul.

I was struck by her delicate handling of the notion, the restrained palette, and not least the looks on these creature's faces. I could well believe this dog had been recently lost on the streets, and that this cat craved something to love warmly. (And here come the memories of all the years Zozo was "my baby.")

Alexander enjoyed Beatrix Potter's books as a child (as did I), and notes that she finds humor and warmth in animals. I see all that in her work. She also paints primarily in watercolor, of which she notes "Watercolors are interesting in that you have to become friends with the water, work WITH it, corral it into doing what you want it to do on the paper." You cannot help but infuse such a medium with immediate spirit. To see more playful and gentle-hearted pieces, visit her Etsy store and her blog.

- and how could I forget to say to you all - Happy Valentines' Day!