Middlebury Artist Donates Sketches to DAWS' Annual Ball

Middlebury resident ShawnaLee W. Kwashnak, formerly of Ridgefield, donated two hand rendered sketches to be auctioned off at the upcoming Danbury Animal Welfare Society’s 5th annual Making a Difference Ball.

The ball will take place at 6 p.m. Saturday, March 10, at the Ethan Allan Hotel in Danbury. Proceeds of the Ball directly benefit local cats and dogs in need of care.

Cost to attend is $150 per person. Tables of 10 are available for $1,200.

The theme of the 2012 event is One Step Closer, recognizing all of the ways people help animals get closer to their forever homes, including one aspect of the DAWS program that does not always get a lot of attention: foster care.

DAWS is only allowed to keep a certain number of adult animals at the shelter, so the network of foster families is extremely important in enabling more animals to be rescued, cared for and eventually adopted.

All puppies and kittens are placed in foster homes until they're old enough to be adopted.

The prints can also be viewed on ShawnaLee Kwashnak's Facebook page.

Kwashnak’s portrait works receives enthusiastic remarks from her clients for her ability to capture her subject’s spirit.

Sensitive by nature, her ability to see into a relationship allows her to see that spark of life that is expected in a portrait.

"For every sketch or painting I create, completion comes when my subject embraces a mood and captures your heart," said Kwashnak.