Christmas commission in progress.

Here is Maddy as she emerges from the page. She is a Christmas present for my client's husband who adores his kitty. Final dimensions will be 9"x12". Base price for  8"x10" commissions is $420.00. This price will increase to $450.00 in January. Pricing depends on size and number of subjects. Though unable to take on any more commissions due before Christmas, I will happily sell a gift certificate.  If you purchase now you will be locked into current pricing.

Cavalier king Charles Spaniel Memorial Portrait

A few month ago, a dear friend hired me to paint a portrait of a recently deceased King Charles Spaniel, "R.B." The portrait was to be presented to the dog's owner as a birthday present. The resulting thank you note, sent my friend, underscores why I do what I do. "You know I am rarely speechless.  When I opened your gift of a beautifully framed portrait of R.B. I was in fact speechless.  Leslie gave it to me on my Birthday and tears came to my eyes. the artist captured R.B.'s likeness and spirit.  I felt as if he was sharing my Birthday. Your amazing gift I shall cherish forever.

Thank you for giving me one of the best and most appreciated gifts of my life. Your thoughtfulness, generosity and fine taste made my Birthday so special."

Here's something new and different.

I have a beautiful silver leaf frame that needs to surround a painting.  I decided to try and create a piece that would look nice in the frame.  This is a difficult thing to do and not my usual source for inspiration. I decided that silver would look nice with a seascape, so chose this image from a file of photographs I took on Perdido Key in Pensacola Florida. The undulating grass is full of energy against the calm sea.

"Chief" voted 4th place in People's Choice at CPSA Chapter District 119 Exhibition.

Yes, I am tooting my own horn.  I just started to show my work, so can't help but jump up and down like a kid, every time my art is lauded - just can't help it. Though I respect  the expert opinion of the person(s) chosen to judge a show, it's just as important for me to know how my work is viewed by those who attend. When "Chief" was passed over by the judge at the recent CPSA District Chapter 119 Exhibition at Sharon Woods, Sharonville Ohio, I admit I was surprised.  In my opinion, Chief is one of my strongest pieces. So, it's nice to hear that  out of the 270 people who cast a vote, "Chief" came in 4th. Competition is healthy.

Margi Featured Artist on CPSA (Colored Pencil Society of America) Facebook page today.

Today I am the featured artist on CPSA's Facebook page: " Today's featured artist is CPSA member Margie Hopkins from Ohio. She has a very interesting website....great bio, shows her process, and her love of animals is evident. One of her portraits appeared on a recent cover of the Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association."

What an honor for myself and Meghan Hopkins who created and designed my logo and website.  If you wish to know more about Meghan and her freelance design, go to www.meghanhopkins.com