back in motion!

Hi All- It's been awhile since I posted, but portraits are happening in the real world! I've gotten my own archival Giclee printer & am busy getting prints up for purchase at my Etsy store, popkinsportraits.

Here's the first one of my own princess, Perogi!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/83131253/perogi-queen-of-pugs-signed-archival

This open edition archival Giclee Print is printed on 8x10 lasal Photo matte premium archival  fine art paper with a Canon PIXMA Pro9000 Mark II Printer and Canon ChromaLife100 inks which guarantees archival photo life up to 100 years.  Fits perfectly in any standard 8"x10" frame.

bmore Magazine features Popkin's Pet Portraits

Popkin's Pet Portraits and Damn Good Doormast were featured in this months bmore Magazine!

bmore Magazine

Innovation & Job News

Artist Spoon Popkin Turns Creativity Into Success

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Related Tags

Arts and Culture, Entrepreneurship  

Baltimore Artist Spoon Popkin is using her unique perspective on pets and people to create businesses that allow her to pursue her creative passions. Her two endeavors, Popkin's Pet Portraits and Damn Good Doormats, were inspired by her own circumstances, and have allowed the artist to flex her creative muscles while capitalizing on two things that appeal to the consumer market: homes and pets.

"I've been painting my own animals since 1988 for fun. Around 2005 a friend asked me to paint her kitty and I loved it. She was ecstatic and it was a great change from painting humans. Another friend requested a portrait, then another and before I knew it I was in business," Popkin says.

Popkin paints her pet portraits either on-site in the customer's home or through photographs of the client's pet. In addition to using traditional painting styles, the artist also does pet portraits using Japanese sumi ink. Popkin has painted pet portraits for several celebrities, including Jeff Lewis of Bravo TV's "Flipping Out" and Nicole Hollander, author and creator of the syndicated cartoon "Sylvia".

Popkin was inspired to start Damn Good Doormats after a search for a doormat for her newly purchased home turned up too many impersonal examples. Damn Good Doormats offers a variety of pop culture and meme-related doormats.

"I make custom and original doormats to order. I [also] have over 40 designs in stock. Some of the most popular mats are 'The Honey Badger Don't Care', 'The Pride of Baltimore', 'Keys Wallet Cell Phone', Bigfoot, various dogs, cats, and wood grain," Popkin continues.


Writer: Amy McNeal
Source: Spoon Popkin

Blog Hop!

Pet Blog Hop Saturday:
I've joined this fun Blog Hop! Check out some other awesome dog oriented blogs!

This is a Blog Hop! 90 entries so far... you're next!

Bigfoot!

I know it's not a pet portrait, or is it? My wife digs the Sasquatch & we watch "Finding Bigfoot" on Animal Planet every week. So she designed this Bigfoot doormat! I love it when the BFRO (Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization) drives through a wooded area and says "It's Squatchy in here...." spooky! That Bigfoot print is to scale- check out my wife's size 11 feet next to that!
It's up now at my etsy store, Damn Good Doormats.

Flipping Out!

I had a little vacation recently at The Glickman-Popkin Bassoon Camp at the gorgeous Wildacres Retreat in the mountains of North Carolina. Which gave me time to catch up on portrait orders. I loved painting all day, uninterrupted! After I finished all that I wanted to keep going, so I did some just for fun. My wife is a big fan of Flipping Out! on Bravo,  she loves that Jeff Lewis. I personally have an affinity for Deb- she gets things done! So I painted his cat Monkey. He's got great cranky eyes & looong whiskers. She got so excited, she wrote him and offered to send him the painting. His boyfriend/assistant Gage wrote back that same day & the painting is off to LA!

Christmas in July SALE!

Hi all! I'm having a Big Christmas in July sale! 20-40% off everything in my etsy shop PopkinsPortraits.
I'm posting lots of completed drawings and paintings that are ready to ship now, but custom portraits are included in the sale. That's right- buy bigger & save more! I have gift cards for you holiday shoppers who are thinking ahead for the holidays. We may be sweating now, but before you know it... snow!
Don't wait! When I get overwhelmed the sale will end!
x Spoon

Returning Customer!

Remember how excited I was to get my first commission based solely on my Yelp! review and website? Well, Charlie came back for another painting! This time it was of his own dog Satchel, also known as Mr. Spirit. Satchel was a pleasure to paint and it was fun to see Charlie again and chat about science.

I have just recently added this 10"x10" portrait size as a lower cost option and I am quickly coming to love it. The size allows such freedom of brushwork, requiring a gestural spontaneity- it's very freeing!

shih tzu

I painted this shih tzu recently for the sheer pleasure of it. It's bouffant was just too glorious NOT to paint! She will be available for sale on my etsy shop, Popkin's Portraits in the next few days...

Bowling for Rhinos

For years I've been joining my good friend Rick Wilson at the Maryland Zoo to draw the Animal Ambassadors under his care. He asked me to paint an ostrich egg for this great cause "Bowling for Rhinos" at Baltimore's duckpin alley Stoneleigh Lanes.

Bowling for Rhinos is a national AAZK sponsored fundraiser that supports rhino ecosystems: everything from orchids to sea turtles to elephants.

I've always wanted to try scratchboard and these eggs presented the perfect canvas! I went back to some of my zoo drawings and made two eggs.

This one is Tux, Tails and Ascot, a family of Jackass Penguins.

The other is my personal favorite, Martin the Porcupine!

Doc!

I was recently honored to paint and draw the amazing Doc for my old band friend, J Robbins. It was a Father's Day and Birthday surprise from his lovely wife Janet. I've done a lot of live drawing sessions, but Doc was the biggest challenge ever! That pup never stops moving.

Maryland Animal Sanctuary Rescue

I was happy to donate a custom portrait to the Maryland Animal Sanctuary Rescue Fundraiser last Saturday at Meadow Mill Athletic Club. Over $3,000 was raised to help shelter animals.
"MAS Rescue is a small not-for-profit group that is dedicated to help unwanted shelter animals whose time has run out and their destiny is deemed perilous. The group is supported by a select few of volunteers who have the same passionate desire to save as many shelter animals as possible. Since 2005, MAS Rescue has rescued and placed over 1,000 dogs and cats in loving forever homes."

Pints for Pits! Success

The Pints for Pits event was a great success! My portrait was won by the events host, lucky! Many attendees and bidders and some super sweet Pits up for adoption. Lee begged me to take JuJu home. What a nice boy!

First web based commission!

All my hard work is paying off! Above is Cody, my first completely web based painting commission. Cody is painted in my newest size, 10"x10". Thank you Yelp! And Thanks to Vanessa- a wonderful client and now friend who ordered her first Popkin’s Pet Portrait on my Etsy Shop, PopkinsPortraits.

MD SPCA March for the Animals

The 16th Annual March for the Animals was Sunday, April 17, 2011 at Druid Hill Park. It was a fun-packed day of demonstrations, contests, entertainment and a 1.5-mile walk around Druid Hill Reservoir to benefit the Maryland SPCA. The event raised $358,000 to date for the animals! It’s not too late to make a donation. Help us beat last year’s total.
I will be walking in the March for the Animals with my BEST (Baltimore Etsy Street Team) Pack. on April 17. Would you please consider making a gift to support the Maryland SPCA? As a local, private non-profit shelter, the Maryland SPCA receives no government funding or money from national animal welfare organizations. On behalf of the nearly 3,000 lost and homeless animals that are placed into homes by the Maryland SPCA each year, I thank you!

Ride for the Feast

I’ve donated a 10″x10″ custom pet portrait to be auction off in support of Moveable Feast through Ride for the Feast.

On Saturday, April 16th, join The Shirley Temples as they Play for the Feast at Silo Point.

For a $15 entry fee, enjoy blackjack, a silent auction, a 50/50 raffle and more from 8:00PM to 11:00PM. The ticket price includes food, beverage, and one raffle ticket!

New Website

My new website is up & running!
I'm adding lots of new images everyday.
Thanks to Luci and Nathalie at Ladderback Design for their endless assistance!

www.popkinspetportraits.com

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Live drawing Session Chancho & Kimba!

A recent live drawing session of Chancho & Kimba...
Live sessions are $75/hr. They can also be done via the web, flickr, etc.

March for the Animals!

march for the animals

I will be walking in the March for the Animals on April 17. Would you please consider making a gift to support the Maryland SPCA? As a local, private non-profit shelter, the Maryland SPCA receives no government funding or money from national animal welfare organizations. On behalf of the nearly 3,000 lost and homeless animals that are placed into homes by the Maryland SPCA each year, I thank you!

Best in Show- Dog paintings

Tuesday, February 15 · 7:00pm - 10:00pm
Antreasian Gallery 1111 W 36th Street Baltimore, MD 21211

Come enjoy a celebration of Art & Dogs!

Sally Cookie

Last summer I went to see my favorite cartoonist, Nicole Hollander of Sylvia fame, speak at the Enoch Pratt Library. She mentioned that her cat, Sally Cookie, had passed away. I offered to do a pet portrait for her in thanks for all the hours of enjoyment & affirmation that Sylvia has given me over the years. Nicole is sending me a cartoon in appreciation of my painting of Sally Cookie. Cat art to cat art!

"I was speaking at the Enoch Pratt Free Library in the Edgar Allan Poe room. Very beautiful library in Baltimore which is kept in fine shape by a long list of well-know authors. At the end of the evening a young woman called Spoon Popkin, the last name she assures me is real, offered to paint Sally Cookie as a gift for me. Sally nudged me from beyond and said "say yes and thank you, don't fumble around." So I did and soon it will be here. Thank you, Spoon.- Nicole Hollander"

Here's a link to Nicole's Blog Edgycat