DROOL: When do you feel you first found success in the world of art, and how have you grown since then?
Linny: I started embroidery at the beginning of quarantine.  It was a pet project that I was posting on Instagram and it evolved rather quickly. I started with a few close friends’ cats, and then some acquaintance-type friends reached out. My list kept getting longer so I had to actually write everything down and get organized. Thus birthed NoFriends. Having people whom I’ve never met want to buy a piece I made- that’s just pure awesome, every time. To be honest. 

DROOL: How did you discover your voice in art?
Linny: The first portrait I made was of a salty black cat named Pepper. I love the meditation aspect of embroidery, but staring at black thread for 9 hours was really boring. I decided after that to experiment with color. It’s been trial and error, orange doesn’t go with everything.  But I’ll never go back to conventional colors. 

DROOL: What compels you to keep driving forward as an artist? How do you aspire to grow as an artist this year?
Linny: Whenever I finish a portrait I literally think, “damn! I can’t believe I made that”. I have never felt that sort of validation in anything I have done. As long as people are interested in memorializing their pets – I can keep this thing going! Im exploring some other mediums for pet portraits, rug making and painting. But I am hoping to create some designs of my own. Animal-related of course.

Give Linny a follow @linnycam and @nofriendspetclub
and visit NoFriendsEmbroidery

DROOL: What about dogs attracts you to them as subjects for your artwork?
Linny: Plants, food, kids, they’re fine. But, You know how if you stick your face into your dog’s armpits they always smell like popcorn and sunshine? That’s my double rainbow.

DROOL: Which do you prefer: dogs or people, and why?
Linny: I was a bartender in NYC for 14 years. Woof. I prefer dogs.

DROOL: If you had to choose one dog breed to characterize who you are, what breed would it be and why?
Linny: I think I’m a lot like my first dog, Dallas. She was a Catahoula leopard dog. Independent, strong-willed (stubborn), totally content to be alone. Really not into loud noises and sudden movements. Aloof to strangers but really loving and loyal to the people closest. Wait, am I her, or is she me? 

DROOL: Anything else you want to share with the dog-loving humans of Earth?
Linny: Adopt don’t shop! And support your local artists.