You know the saying: “Do what you love, love what you do.” It’s exciting, it’s inspiring, it’s the dream–but the road there is rarely straightforward. Still, the bumpy ride is worth the destination. For Lindsay Anderson, this is exactly what she’s gone after, and exactly where she’s landed. A Frederick native, Lindsay discovered her passion for art when she was given coloring books as a child. She knew it was the path to follow when it came time to pursue a college career–but it was no straight path. After giving graphic design a try, she realized it wasn’t for her and pivoted to art education.
Shortly after attaining her Masters in K-12 Art Education, she landed a job teaching middle school art in Frederick. Fast forward to today, Lindsay teaches high school Art and Sculpture and is happier than ever. “I get to make art all day long with a bunch of people–you really can’t beat it. I feel like I have the best job in the world,” she shared. But as much as she loves teaching art, her path didn’t stop there. Over the years, Lindsay has become a fervent dog lover, so when two beloved pups belonging to her close friends passed away, she wanted a way to support them. She painted them beautiful pastel portraits as a gift and shared the paintings on her social accounts. But what was simply meant to serve as a meaningful gift to honor these late dogs became the kickstarter for her business. Everyone was asking for a their own portraits of the special dogs in their lives, and she knew she was onto something. Lindsay continues to create breathtaking pet portraits–of all types of animals, now in both acrylic and watercolor–though watercolor has her heart.
“...watercolor is just so much fun. Its organic; it’s free flowing…once you get the feel for it and you know what the watercolor is going to do on the paper, there’s no going back…” Lindsay shared. And not only is she good at it, but she does it with compassion, too. “I work really hard to communicate with the client about what type of photo to send in…on gathering other information–like what the dog’s personality was like. You know, just having a conversation about the animal so I can better capture it.” While that’s how her business started, Lindsay Elizabeth Art has evolved. Her motto? “I paint what I love, and I love to paint; and that’s really all there is to it.” And what she loves is all things natural, organic and bright. So whether it’s coastal life (like jellyfish, oyster shells or oceans), cups of coffee or flowers; if she’s fond of it, she paints it, and that’s what fuels her work. LindsayElizabethArt.com