We had the good fortune of connecting with Rebecca Lansdowne-Collins and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rebecca, why did you pursue a creative career?
I have always been an artist. When I was in my late 20’s my Mom died early at 54. That was life changing for me as she had been laid off from her job the year before that. It was a job she had been in for over a decade and seeing her go through all that she went through was a wake up call. I had never been great at negotiating for raises and never felt like I had the ability to earn what I was worth by working for other people. So I started a handmade card business and ran that for five years, then I started artpaw.com and I am still making pet portraits along with doing less commercial work for myself.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My custom pet portraits are created in Photoshop and we print them in house on canvas. I think the biggest thing that sets my work apart is the fact that it is digital and yet it has a very painterly feel. Because the work is created using a wacom drawing tablet I am able to show my clients a range of vibrant colorful proofing options. Art Paw was one of the first businesses of its kind on the web way back in 1998. The hardest thing starting out was just creating everything from scratch. there was no business model at the time to look at and think “oh that is what i want to do”. I had to learn Dreamweaver to design my website, and then learn all the ins and outs of search engine optimization. I am very proud of all that I was able to teach myself when it comes to technology. The biggest lesson I learned along the way is the importance of staying power and not worrying about the people that try and copy you. My husband told me that the imitators can never lead and I will always be two steps ahead of them. That was important for me to hear.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well we are still in a Pandemic, but I would take them to the Dallas Art museum, and the museums in Fort Worth. We would check out the Dallas arboretum and White Rock Lake. We would hang out in my art studio, and outside on our large deck. Last year we started outdoor animated movie night with pals using a projector and youtube, so we would probably do an outdoor movie. I look forward to a time soon when music and theater are safe spaces again.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to give a shout out to The Dallas Creative Arts Center. Back in 2007 I was at a point in my business where I was close to burning out. Doing commission work on demand at the level I was doing it takes a toll. Back at that time I was creating over 250 custom pet portraits per year, and my work is digital so that means a lot of hours at the computer. I took a mosaic course on a whim from Katrina Doran at The Creative Arts Center in East Dallas. I started doing mosaics at night, exhibiting in shows and now I teach a variety of art classes part time at the Creative Arts Center. It is just a wonderful organization that is committed to providing a safe nurturing space for Dallas creatives. I still run Art Paw but the rewards I get from teaching really provide some much needed balance in my life.

Website: http://artpaw.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artpawpetportraits/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artpaw.fans

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/RebeccaCollinsartpaw

Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/artpaw artpaw@sbcglobal.net

Image Credits
Bio Image by Kris Hundt.

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