Welcome to Arkinked

As the youngest child in a busy family business during summer, I learned to keep myself entertained. My art journey started with white scratch pads and magic markers while I spent time in the unair-conditioned office with the bookkeeper, often one of my sisters. I used many small pads of paper and remember the strong smell of the markers, which often bled through to the paper below. To this day, I prefer working small and in black and white, enjoying the feel of soft, cheap paper under my pen. I also leave doodles everywhere—on napkins, paper placemats, notebooks, and even COVID masks.

As an adult, I ended up with a degree in English, wore many hats jobwise and managed to incorporate creativity into my work and world. I also returned to school and studied some commercial art and graphic design on the side.

I would indulge myself by playing with nephews and nieces and coloring and creating art with them – and later with my own son – but I had put away the dreams of being either a cartoonist or artist to deal with some of the less than wonderful surprises  life can throw at us. And now, in my “golden years” I’ve decided it is not too late to revisit that first love and see where we can go together.