“Whatever you do, big or small, do it with all your might and with extra love!”
Why, hello! I'm Lauren, aka Lulu. Despite going to Penn State University for Nutritional Sciences, today I'm a pet and wildlife portrait artist and instructor.
I’ve always been fascinated by how loving, forgiving, courageous, and resilient animals are. The unconditional love of a cat or dog is limitless! My obsession with animals and my faith in Jesus Christ is my main driver, especially through my battle with addiction, depression, and anxiety.
Growing up in a family of all doctors I felt the constant pressure to achieve. My need to please family, friends, and continue my obsession with food and exercise led me to study Nutritional Sciences at Penn State University.
After realizing I really didn’t want a job in Nutrition I fell deep into addiction. For years I felt painfully different and below average in every area of my life. I carried heavy shame and guilt which showed up in every relationship and imparied every job I barely held onto. The thought of pursing my creative passion horrified me because I felt entirely unqualified. I used food and exercise to numb my pain which only led me deeper into depression and anxiety.
After six long years of trying to recover on my own I finally reached my breaking point. I turned to Christ and the church in 2015 which inspired me to start creating art again. That’s when I began combining my art with prayer, scripture, and worship.
I made drawing and painting animal art my daily routine, twice a day, morning and night, while listening to sermons, painting tutorials, and meditating on God’s word.
Seeking the Lord through my pain really did transform my thinking which in turn changed my behavior. As I began seeing myself as a loved, valuable child of God I slowly lost the desire to abuse food and exercise.
Today I’m a much healthier version of myself, the wife of Adam Witsiepe, the mother of AnnaGrace and Zachary, and a full-time animal artist and instructor. By God's grace I get to create colorful animal art, teach an outstanding group of artists, and help raise two beautiful babies.
