For those of you who don’t know me, I’m a full time artist living in Charleston, South Carolina. It took a long time to have the courage to pursue my dream of being an artist. Like many artists, the journey involved all sorts of creative endeavors but I didn’t believe I was good enough to be a painter. I discovered faux finishing and decorative painting. The thrill of turning blank walls into works of art was exhilarating and my business thrived until the housing market crash. At that point I felt like I had lost everything, a career I loved, my financial independence, my very identity.
As I floundered trying to find my way I stumbled into dog rescue. After volunteering for a bit, I started a rescue for abandoned senior retrievers. As a lifelong dog lover, saving those precious pups gave my life purpose again. Unfortunately as much as the grey muzzles filled my heart, rescue drained my bank account and took an enormous emotional toll. After nearly a decade I had to make the hard choice to close the rescue and I was once again left wondering what to do next.
By chance I saw an ad for an online art workshop. Something deep inside whispered, just do it! The workshop changed my life and I enrolled in an intensive 12 week course and began painting every day.
As I sat staring at a blank canvas one day, I was reminded of a question posed by my teacher. What lights you up? That was easy, animals - especially dogs!
Ever since then I’ve worked to portray the love I have for dogs and the reverence I feel for all living beings. It’s my intention to capture their essence, their soul as I paint, as well as the connection that so many of us feel with these precious creatures who share our lives and our planet. I hope that when someone looks at my work they feel the awe of watching a cherished pup peacefully sleeping, or a baby elephant running with abandon, ears flapping.
In this chaotic world, animals remind us to live in the moment. To love with an open heart and to be who we truly are without pretense or fear of not being enough.
Thank you so much for taking a look at my work!
Blessings,
Lissa
Melissa (Lissa) Gray