Janie Ball and Annabel Lee Working in the Studio

Submitted by Janie Ball / Photographed by Charlie Aikman

Typical me ~ It was a week before my online popup and I needed a picture of myself in my studio to be used for the “Behind the Easel” social media feature. I had just finished painting for the day and I asked my husband to come take a few shots of me. I’m a big believer in: You can never have too many pictures. I think there are somewhere near 100 shots between my studio camera and his iPhone. Anyway, Annabel, who is always with me — be it in the studio or painting en plein air — stole the show! Annabel Lee is an Australian Labradoodle who has been my constant companion and studio assistant for the last seven years. She is named after my favorite poem by Edgar Allan Poe. He was station at Fort Moultrie when he was 18 years old and serving in the Army on Sullivan’s Island, where we live.