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Pet Portrait Gallery | Favorites Gallery | Norwegian Elkhounds | Fused Glass Gallery |
 Pets have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember -- literally! The Anderson family already had a long history of having multiple dogs and cats; when I was born, the dogs consisted of "Goblin" (a black-and-tan hound) and "Spook" (a black dachshund). When Goblin passed away, the family acquired its first Norwegian Elkhound -- Smoky, short for "Smoky Volcano" (her kennel name was "Snæfellsjökull," but for some odd reason the family didn't seem to want to call her that!) We never looked back; from then on, it was Elkhounds! When I got out of college and took on the position of history professor at Arkansas State University, I couldn't wait to bring Elkhounds back into my life. Before long, I'd launched my own breeding and show kennel, opened a boarding kennel, and was traveling the show circuit and becoming a part of the larger breeding and exhibiting community. This gave me wonderful opportunities to become familiar with the standards and characteristics of a wide range of breeds, though Elkies were always to be my first love. The other family tradition that has always been a part of my life is "arts and crafts." Everyone in the family has had a finger or two in the arts. After dabbling in beading, ceramics, and dollhouse miniatures, I took a course in stained glass -- and just like the family with their first Elkhound, I never looked back. I was hooked! I've been working in stained glass for more than a decade now, and combining glass with my love of dogs just seemed a match made in heaven. Since 2008, I've specialized in stained glass pet portraits, capturing the memories of beloved dogs, cats, horses, and even a pet goat and a pot-bellied pig! I love working with glass, but even more, I love designing. I've already designed four stained glass pattern books and am hard at work on a fifth! Today, whether I'm in the studio working with glass, or in the office designing a new pattern, I'm usually accompanied by my two dogs (one an Elkhound, of course!) and a cat or two. It's a family tradition!
-- Robin Anderson
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