Fiona Anderson BVSc(hons)

I am a practicing veterinarian in suburban Melbourne. I always loved animals and grew up surrounded by both our domestic pets and the farm creatures. Over the years it just seemed inevitable that I work with animals. Even my earliest memory is our one of our pets, my sister’s black and white moggie having kittens on my bed.

Through my school years I loved to draw. I remember an illustrated book I produced in grade 2 all about ducks. Later I drew mainly horses, my passion and obsession in my early teenaged years. I did manage to take art to year 12 but once I went onto university I found the demands on my time meant I did little but study and do practical work. I gradated from Melbourne University in 1989 (my only hint about my age) and started rural practice shortly after.

Like many young vets I wanted to try mixed practice. I loved going out to the farms although to be perfectly honest I can’t think of anything worse than pregnancy testing a mob of cows. You end up covered in cow dung, flies, dust and either freezing (the only warmth being up the cow’s arse) or feeling like you are going to drop dead from the heat. It was an adventure. There were those trips out where the directions ended with the comment "you can’t miss the place". That usually meant that the farmer never really thought how anyone else would find his property and gave lousy directions. Or "she’s in the corral" translated as mad cow racing around a yard with stout rails about 10 meters square, no race, no crush (I couldn’t lasso anything to save my life). As I said an adventure and I didn’t do much in the way of anything through first couple of years except learn to be a vet.

After I was cured of the country life I came back to Melbourne and joined Lort Smith Animal Hospital, a welfare veterinary practice in central Melbourne. The days there were long, we worked extremely hard and again I did little artwork. I think it would be generous to say I did a drawing a year for the eight years I worked at Lort. I did however finish writing a novel (another story - no joke intended) and learnt to write web pages.

I joined the Wildlife Artists Society of Australasia (WASA), Friends of the Zoo (FOTZ) and then the Pastel Society. I have concentrated on horses and wildlife though I do draw the occasional dog or cat for someone. I muck round with landscapes but have issues with trees. I love graphite pencil and have been experimenting with coloured pencils. In 2002 I exhibited Endangered at the annual WASA show and had three pieces of work printed by Art Connections. This year I have been concentrating on developing pastels on artist velour however I do intend to exhibit with FOTZ, WASA and possibly Equitana. I am not a prolific artist; work, the other websites I run, my numerous pets and other activities mean I don’t always find the time. However I do hope you enjoy my art and this website.