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DENTON - Rachel Lauren of Denton will combine two of her favorite things at The Foundry later this month , animals and art, when she teaches “Paw Print Silhouette,” a guided therapeutic painting class.
A certified veterinary assistant and dog groomer, Lauren is the owner of RL Grooming, LLC, an in-home dog grooming business, who also offers pet canvas art and photo shoots. She has been interested in art since kindergarten.
“Every time a teacher would hand me a blank piece of paper, I would get excited because that meant I had room to create something or invent something …,” Lauren said. “So, I would sit on the steps at recess and just write little stories and draw pictures.”
Lauren said she had a rough time growing up, and she was badly bullied in high school. She has struggled with anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, so mental health is another important issue for her.
“I’m big on advocating for the suicide hotline (988) as well, because they were there for me when I really didn’t have anybody else to talk to about what I was going through. I didn’t really have a whole lot of family support,” she said. “Dogs, dogs ultimately saved my life.”
Her relationship with dogs gave her a purpose and a goal to work toward. She started as a volunteer kennel tech at Queen Anne’s County Animal Shelter. She attended the veterinary assistant program on scholarship at Chesapeake College, finishing in the top of her class. She worked at Queenstown and Denton veterinary offices and a couple kennels before the pandemic. The shutdown gave her a lot of time to paint.
She started working as a bather after the emergency order lifted. Kevertin Pet Resort sent Lauren to a four-day grooming expo in Hershey, Pa., where she attended seminars and received hands-on training from master groomers. She worked as a dog groomer two days a week at a salon in Easton, while working another job and doing grooming on her own on side.
Grooming is now her full-time day job. Lauren celebrated the first anniversary of her LLC in January. Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday-Friday; she serves primarily Caroline, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot counties. RL Grooming can be reached on Facebook, by phone, 443-239-4705 (texting recommended), or by email, rlgrooming570@gmail.com.
Full grooms include bathing, blow drying, brushing, deshedding, ear cleaning, nail trims, and paw pad shaving. Prices are based on breed or weight.
Lauren goes to her clients. Sometimes she sets up in a garage; other times people want her to work in the house. The at-home service is especially good for senior dogs that can’t get in the car, rescue dogs, or anxious dogs that shouldn’t be in a kennel waiting for their owner, Lauren said.
When Caroline County Council of Arts asked Lauren to do a class, she was excited to combine her interests. She recalled a dog silhouette painting she had done, which led her to select a paw print silhouette sunset painting to honor the bond between people and their pets.
“I felt that people would be drawn to the class because it’s animal based, and it’s meaningful,” she said.
The class will be 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27, at The Foundry, 401 Market St., Denton, where Lauren is one of the gallery artists. Cost is $28 per person. No painting experience necessary; all supplies provided. Register at carolinearts.org.
Lauren’s works can be viewed at The Foundry and on her art Facebook page, Rachel’s Art and Soul.
