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You can find a selection of Sophie's work all year round in two galleries throughout North Wales. These are: Artworks 2 Celf Holyhead Rd, Betws-y-Coed LL24 0AB Open until 6pm daily Large wall space, with original paintings, framed and unframed limited edition giclee prints, greetings cards and calendars (seasonal) Bay Gallery BayView Shopping Centre, Sea View Rd, Colwyn Bay LL29 8DG Open until 4pm Monday - Saturdays Closed on Sundays 3 originals, 3 limited edition giclee prints and a range of greetings cards are rotated monthly at this gallery. Subscribe to the newsletter to receive updates on the work displayed each month. You can also find Sophie's work in a selection of public exhibitions throughout the year, such as: Association of Animal Artists The Wildlife Art Society International Conwy Art Festival Holmfirth Art Week Manchester Art Fair (with ARTNorthWales) Exhibition Wildlife Art Southern Nature Art and more. Please view the "Exhibitions and Events" page for full details of Sophie's 2025 events.

Sophie open's several commission spaces each year, and these can be for any wildlife, pet portraits, even the occasional human portrait. Booking in advance is essential and there may be a wait list when you enquire. Images provided must be good quality, with all features showing clearly, and not blurry when zoomed in. (The better the photo, the better the painting!) Photo's can be combined for multiple subjects or even if you have a preference on the feature positions: for example ear's or tail changing slightly. For commissions intended for occasion's like Christmas or Birthday's, please enquire at least 2 months in advance for pastel and 4 months in advance for acrylic. A price guide is available on the "Pet Portraits and Commissions" page, but please note, this is a guide only. Final quotes are dependent on: Number of subjects in the painting How detailed the background is (if a background is desired) The size of the painting The medium of pastel or acrylic Framing preferences Delivery location - for address' within 20 miles of Prestatyn, Sophie will always aim to delivery the painting by hand.

Sophie uses both soft pastel and acrylic paint. All of Sophie's supplies are professional grade materials with lightfast and archival properties. Pastel and Acrylic have no difference when it comes to the value of the work, or how archival they are. They will last just as long as each other with no colour change, when cared for correctly, but they do have differences when it comes to the framing requirements and the actual time it takes to complete the work. Framing Requirements (acrylic is a bonus) Pastel requires specific framing, which is ideally by a professional framer. The mount used needs to separate the pastel from the glass and also have a "spacer" between the mount and the pastel itself. Additionally, it is best to use Art Glass, which is not only anti reflective, but has added UV protection. It's also important to note that Sophie's pastel work is always left unsprayed, to avoid any damage or discoloration from any mediums. Many people believe pastel needs to be "set" with a spray, but this is absolutely false, and there is no single setting spray in existence that can be used reliably. (If your framer ever says the work needs to be sprayed, with commissions, do not use that framer, it mean's they are not experienced in working with pastel and may damage your commission) Acrylic only requires a tray frame, or if preferred, no frame at all (if it's a cradled canvas). They do not need any expensive glass, but they do require professional varnishing, which Sophie uses MSA Satin by Golden. This provides a protective layer from both dust and UV damage. Any wooden supports also requires a protective coating to prevent SID (Support Induced Discoloration). Time To Paint (pastel is a bonus) Pastel is able to be completed much faster, so it is suitable for those will tight deadlines such as an upcoming Birthday present, or for those who just prefer to have the work available as soon as possible. It is easy to blend and is effectively Sophie's speciality. Pastel does not require time to dry either, so this means it's available to be framed immediately after completion. Acrylic takes much longer and requires many many layers, which each need time to dry completely. Additionally, the protective layers both before and after painting add on several days of drying time, and for the final varnish, it is recommended to wait at least 3 or 4 weeks if the painting is to be transported in tight packaging for long distances.

Why they’re not “just a print” Giclee Prints are fine art prints made by a well respected fine art giclee print company in the UK….These prints are NOT the same as printing with standard office paper & inks. Surface Archival, acid free Hahnemuhle bamboo which is one of the finest art papers in existence and also an eco-friendly option. (Some of my older paintings will be on Hahnemuhle Photorag) Inks Giclee printing involves incredibly high quality archival inks which are lightfast and pigment based. (this mean's they won’t yellow over time). They provide the closest colour match to the original paintings and are used by many many professional artists. They’re processed using 11 different inks as opposed to the regular 4 inks used in everyday printers. I use a professional art printing company for this. Why a limited edition? All of my fine art prints are limited editions. This means once the numbered print run ends, that’s it, no more will EVER be printed. The archival properties of the prints also ensure that they last well over 100 years, when cared for correctly. This mean's the value is highly likely to increase significantly over time, becoming not just an art print, but an investment for your family too, and something you can pass down through generations. My original paintings AND limited edition prints, can already be found in many private collections across the UK, US & Australia.