I'm a big fan of the Internet.
One of my favorite parts of running an online business is the opportunity to get to know people from all walks of life. I'm always intrigued by the variety of people who find Sharpened Artist.
It occurred to me that many of you might not know much about me, though--beyond the fact that I'm a colored pencil artist. So today I'm sharing a list of things you may not know about me:
I come from a large family. My parents had 10 children, and I was #8.
When I was 7 years old I was rushed to the ER after having my right hand caught in an air compressor. The doctor did a skin graft from my stomach to patch up part of my 3rd finger. You may see that scar from time to time in my videos. Now I can scratch my belly by just scratching my finger in that one spot. Ha!
I grew up way out in the country of rural southwest Oklahoma. My brothers and I hunted and fished a lot. When I was about 12 years old I took a correspondence course to learn taxidermy. I mounted birds and small animals. Believe it or not, it was an artistic outlet.
I'm a christian. I believe Jesus Christ is both Lord and Savior. There is nothing new under the sun. I don't believe something has value or merit just because it's faster, larger, or more recent.
I live in a suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio. I work from a home studio.
I worked in a systems/IT role for about 20 years at the same company. My commute to work was 40-60 minutes in the morning and around an hour and a half in the afternoon. Back then I listened to lots of podcasts to pass the time.
My grandmother Henri inspired me to be an artist. She always told me that I was going to be an artist when I grew up, and I believed her. I drew all the time as a child. I often got in trouble at school for drawing during class.
I have always been a music lover. I love to sing and I used to play guitar a little when I had more time for extra hobbies.
I’m very much at home in the kitchen. I love cooking, baking, using knives, and making things from scratch.
I have a cat in my home named Mascara. Yes, my daughters named her that. I love that cat!
My favorite hue is blue. I prefer the cooler blues, but any shade of that gorgeous color is great!
One of my favorite simple pleasures in life is coffee! I don’t care where I get it- Starbucks, the boutique coffee shop down the street, or my Keurig at home. All I need is a cup of joe, a laptop (if I’m working on my websites), or a Stonehenge drawing pad and a few pencils and I’m transported to a happy place.
There you have it--12 bits of trivia about me. Don't worry, there won't be a test. :)