My name is Halla Kirsch and I am a 21 year old colored pencil artist based in Canterbury, New Hampshire. Since a very young age, I have had a passion for drawing and being creative. As a child, I would draw pictures in most of my free time, and art was always my favorite subject in school. Growing up with dogs, cats, and chickens as pets also gave me a strong compassion for animals. Throughout high school, I took a number of art courses, including drawing, painting, and AP art. These courses helped me to fine tune my drawing abilities, and AP art was where I learned to combine my love for both animals and drawing. My concentration was centered around animal portraits, and during that time I drew my first realistic pet portrait of my dog in colored pencil. I discovered that using colored pencils let me achieve a high level of detail due to their fine points and easy application. In 2022, I graduated high school and started drawing pet portraits for my friends and family as a side-job, while having serving and catering jobs as my main sources of income. Since then, I have continued to work hard daily to complete commissions and navigate the world of becoming a small business owner. I am so thankful for everyone I've had the pleasure of working with, and for everyone that's helped me out on my journey. I'm hopeful that the future will bring more creative opportunities my way. Thanks for reading!