This was my first foray into drawing animals–an intimidating prospect, when I preferred to draw less animate subjects. I have never particularly cared for pigs save as a source of food, but I have to admit, I was incredibly pleased with how this turned out. It has certainly improved my attitude regarding the animals. After a good eighteen different drawings of dala animals, this is still one of my favorites.

One of my favorite artists provided the inspiration for my drawings of the Swedish dala animals. Not that Sue Coleman has ever painted any Scandinavian art (to my knowledge), but the Canadian watercolor artist was the first I’ve seen to combine stylized wildlife with their very realistic counterparts in the same paintings–in her case, using the elegant brushstrokes of Northwest Indian art. Each one is more beautiful and haunting than the last. After seeing her paintings for the first time in Victoria, BC as a teenager, I’ve never forgotten the beauty and creativity she captured, and it was my dream to come close to echoing that creativity.