The majority of my work focuses on animals in nature and I love combining unexpected elements, i.e. feathers that become leaves, grasses that look more like ribbons, so when this opportunity to donate a piece to Clearwater Conservancy arose I jumped at the chance to create an owl. I love the serious look of the owl's eye paired with the whimsy of its surroundings.

Dimensions of art: 14" x 11.5"

Dimensions of frame: 20.5" x 17.75"

ABOUT THE ARTIST

After leaving an art program to pursue psychology, and nearly 20 years away from any form of drawing Maggie took a pen and ink class at the Art Alliance in Lemont, PA in 2017. Her passion for drawing came rushing back and pen and ink felt immediately like the perfect medium and what had been missing from her art journey all along. Her art has always centered around the environment, most often including animals. When she creates a concept for a piece she begins by focusing on the animal(s) and builds the background around them. Every piece begins with a rough/loose pencil sketch first focusing on the eyes before any ink is laid down. Some of her favorite parts about working with ink are the crisp clean lines, textures and shading that can be created with one simple tool. Recently she has begun adding more color to her work digitally through Procreate creating themed series which tell stories within the pieces. Maggie's work has been featured in several shows including the Central Pennsylvania Arts Festival and she has participated three times in a large scale wood carving event called Big Ink. Maggie sells her work locally through the Lemont Gallery Shop and The Makery in downtown State College. Maggie lives in State College PA with her husband, two girls and 2 dogs.

This work is on display now in the gallery space at 3 Dots Downtown! Visit during open hours (noon-5 Tuesday-Sunday) to view this and more pieces donated by local artists for this year's Art & Chocolate auction.