Commissions open for custom watercolor pet portraits! Every single animal is a life to celebrate! We want to hear your story!
Greetings from the Queen City, and welcome to my whimsical world where watercolor meets wildlife.
My name is Abby, and hopefully this page has successfully introduced you to a few of my favorite things: watercolor and animals. I have chosen to focus my work on the animal kingdom because my personal passion and greatest empathy have always been directed toward animals and the natural world. As the owner of Cards for Canines, I’ve been able to build a small business that blends art, human passion for animals, and animal rescue efforts. I sincerely hope you enjoy it and I’m glad to have you here.
Watercolor was introduced into my life by a skilled professor and artist, Margaret Voelker-Ferrier. I feel she must be named here as the woman responsible for providing me with the tools, skills, and confidence to try my hand at watercolor. I attended her classes as a student at the University of Cincinnati while working on a Bachelor’s of Science in Fashion Design at the college of DAAP. I am truly grateful for all of my design professors at the University of Cincinnati. The encouragement and inspiration extended to me at UC still plays a great role in my career development.
Artistic expression and a love for animals and wildlife was always fostered in my family. Therefore, I must proudly acknowledge my parents and five siblings for the creativity that seems to radiate in our clan as well as the curiosity and empathy for animals that was encouraged since my earliest years.
Watercolor painting forces one to pause, appreciate, and study the natural world. It seems only natural to me that I could paint that which inspires me and share it with the public. I hope my work will encourage others to experience the wilderness, respect all forms of life, and cherish the relationship humans have with animals.
Since the start of Cards for Canines / Abby Nurre Watercolor in 2014, I have been able to donate over $8,000.00 through monetary donations and auctioned paintings. I hope to see that number grow so that we can do more to help the people that are really making a difference —the people getting their hands dirty fighting for animal welfare and wildlife protection. The money is donated to various nonprofits, animal shelters, and conservation initiatives. Some of the nonprofits that benefit from donations are the following:
Pet Portrait donations and auctioned pet portraits primarily go to:
Save the Animals Foundation in Cincinnati, Ohio (http://staf.org/)
Clermont Animal CARE Humane Society in Batavia, Ohio (https://www.clermontanimalcare.org/)
Money donated through the African Safari collection goes to:
International Anti Poaching Foundation (IAPF)
Every single animal is a life to celebrate and we want to do just that through painting and preserving their sweet, emotional faces. Likewise, each rescue story is a beautiful success that deserves recognition, and we want to hear about it. So send us your photos and tell us your stories. We’ll be waiting!
