In the spring of 2021 I moved from an apartment near downtown to a house just outside the city (literally...my neighbors are within the city limits i.e free trash pick up and I pay a private company to pick up my trash because I live in the county. HA!). My favorite part about the new house is the little pond right outside the back door. It feels like my own private oasis.
When I moved to the house by the pond I was immediately struck by how much wildlife I saw everyday. It is just a few miles from my old apartment but feels like a different world. The pond attracts such a wide array of animals. I started making a list of all the different plants and animals I saw the first week I moved in. I thought I would do some sort of art project with the list of animals but never tackled it for over a year. I had always wanted to do a "100 day" project where you set a goal to do some sort of project everyday for 100 days but realistically knew I would never stay on top up of it.
Then, when Little Dog Print Shop was reincarnated in July of 2022, I decided to use my list as a jumping off point. I would cut a linoleum block of all the plants and animals I have seen in my backyard. All of the prints I have created so far are animals and plants local to the Piedmont of North Carolina. I love where I live and I love having a collection that is representative of that. So far, I've carved about 4 prints a month and have a collection of 22 block prints. That means I will finish my goal of 100 in 20 months!
I'm not sure if I'll stick with the plan for that long, but it is fun to have a goal to work towards and nice to have a long list of inspiration for Little Dog Print Shop. Follow my journey on instagram #100plantsandanimalsinmybackyard.
