Like a moth to the flame, I am drawn to animals wherever I go. We live in an area rife with animal life, both domestic and wild.  Along with the myriad creatures we have on our property (22 and counting!), I relish unexpected encounters in nature. Birds migrate through local wetlands, deer tiptoe past our deck, and horses gallop through nearby fields. My favorite days are spent among the animals with sketchbook and camera in hand, observing their behavior and intricate relationships among each other. Back in the studio, I open the windows to hear the soundtrack of nature as I work to convey their complex lives on canvas. Kathleen Dunphy