Like many before me, I favor watching a calculated dog move through the woods with eager grace, and handle wilds birds with confident composure.

In the mountains of West Virginia is where my husband and I call home. Surrounded by coal and timber lands, we're fortunate to develop our English setters on Ruffed Grouse primarily. Throughout the year, many hours are spent working our setters with a camera tucked away in my vest. As days and scenes form into stories, I take notes and reference photos to bring back to the studio.

Much like my interest in dog behavior and development, art is also an admiration for the process. Each piece is slowly formed by memory, revisited by notes and reference photos, and finally thoughtfully composed by hand. Much of my work is inspired by favorite covers, good dog work, and true stories of days spent behind our setters.

My convictions of preserving these timeless traditions, is the subsistence of my craft.

A Craft With Conviction.

- Amanda Ballengee