My name is Linda Roesch; I am an artist. Growing up on a family farm in rural South Dakota, I learned to appreciate the subtle beauty of the open prairies. I have an affinity for falling down farm houses, old gas stations and abandoned elevators (of the grain exchange variety), and many of my paintings showcase these prairie gems. Though I still call South Dakota home, I have a great love for travel and I have a hard time staying in one place for very long. Much of my art has been inspired by my travels across the American midwest and southwest. In 2013, I spent time working at my cousin's animal rescue organization in California. When I returned to South Dakota, I missed the animals that I'd loved and cared for every day, so I started painting their portraits as a way to remember them. While working at the ranch I took a brief hiatus from painting, and when I picked up my brush again after 8 months away I found that my art had really evolved; my style had changed dramatically from near photorealism to something much more expressive, vivacious and free. These new bold color choices, expressive strokes, and splatters captured the silly personalities of the animals perfectly, and my pet portraits became fan favorites at the art festivals that I attended. I've heard others describe my pet portraits as 'realistic with a hint of caricature'...... It's true; I'm painting reality the way that I see it, and I have a tendency to think in cartoon. I prefer to use acrylic or watercolor. I like acrylics for larger work created in the studio, and I turn to watercolors when I'm traveling or working on smaller pieces. I work from reference photos that I've taken during my trips across the country, and I've amassed a good collection of pet and animal photographs that fans and friends have sent in. I continue to take orders for custom pet portraits at festivals where I sell my work, and online at sketchingspot.com. This book has been years in the making.... I have no shortage of artwork, but it became overwhelming to try to decide what pieces to include. While I initially focused on showcasing acrylic paintings of farm animals and personal pets for this project, I've since branched out to include some watercolors, along with paintings of jungle animals, sea creatures and mountain wildlife..... look for dinosaurs, unicorns and 'Dream Sheep' in Volume II!! A huge 'thank you' to everyone who has offered words of wisdom or been supportive of my artistic endeavors over the years. I wouldn't be where I am today without your encouragement, and I can't wait to see where the next road leads. Thank you for coming along for the ride!