I am a self taught artist, and started doing art when I was a young girl. I use to draw all the time when I was a child, but I didn't do much painting back then. When I got into my late teens I started painting plaster items, and ceramics but still did mostly drawings. When I hit my mid twenties I came across Lin Welford's "Paint on Rocks" books and I bought all that she had out at that time which I think was 3 or 4. I then started painting little critters, flowers, and buildings on stones. It was great and I still have several blank canvas' lying around my flowerbeds. I started selling my small stones a couple years ago here on ebay. I then switched to painting on functional items such as hand bags, eyeglass cases, photo albums, coin purses, just about anything really. I haven't painted a rock in a little over a year now, I have also painted on real Maple and Oak Leafs and Turkey Feathers. I also paint on canvas and have started a couple series with Westies. That's what I mainly paint are dogs. The most common breeds I paint are West Higland White Terriers, Scottish Terriers, Yorkshire Terriers, Japanese Chins, and most recently Affenpincshers, Chinese Cresteds, Maltese, Dobermans, Rottweilers, Brussel Griffons, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Corgi's, Old English Sheepdogs and French Bulldogs. I hope to eventually expand my horizons and paint all breeds.  You can find some of my stuff at www.artbyjulie.etsy.com