I’ve always loved studio art, particularly as a distraction from what I view as actual work. After a few friends asked me to draw their pets, I realized how much I enjoyed watching charcoal smudges turn to snouts, to soft hair, to shiny little eyes. While I aim for realism, my favorite parts of the finished pet portraits are the smudges that remain and marks that reveal my own hand. I continue to welcome fun commissions as a complement to my brand management day job.