Moving To A Tropical Island Made Me Miss Woodland Animals So I Started Painting Them

I grew up in Tucson, Arizona, in a small house tucked up in the Catalina mountains surrounded by plants and animals of all kinds. As a child, I found myself more often than not running around barefoot in the canyon behind our house, looking for animals and magic and usually finding it. I loved my home and my parents, both of which were artists, and I think it was that constant exposure to nature and art growing up that gave me my drawing ideas.

I moved from my desert home to the island of Oahu, Hawaii around three years ago. The two places could not have been in a bigger contrast. Suddenly I was surrounded not by muted greens and browns, mesquite trees and prickly pear, my familiar javelina and coyotes and deer, but instead by striking greens and blues, palm trees and oceans, birds and birds and more birds.

Craving a sense of familiarity I began painting to fill the void of wild animals in my life. I painted animal portraits of jackrabbits, foxes, barn owls, mule deer, black bears, and every animal I missed so dearly until my house was full of them.

It’s only recently that I’ve begun to sell my animal drawings. Encouraged to do so by friends and family, I started an Esty shop (Tolackcolour) and have been pleasantly surprised by the response. It’s nice to know I’m not alone in my desire to have a little piece of the woodlands and the forest animals in my home!

More info: Etsy