Today we’d like to introduce you to Vicki Morris. She shared her story with us below:
Vicki Morris (the brainchild of the Fireplug Studio) is known for her all-dog-art studio in Taylors, South Carolina, where she paints commissioned dog portraits and donates a portion of the proceeds to her heart’s passion: dog rescue groups. Her medium of choice is acrylic, but she also incorporates everything from watercolor to wood burning to achieve the perfect portrayals and memorials. Vicki’s creative process stays in overdrive, with her most recent dog portraits coming to life on 100+-year-old local barn wood, lending an “ethereal” effect to her paintings. She paints every size, from 6-inch square portraits to giant dog-driving VW Bus murals on the sides of buildings with her favorite motto: Go Big or Go Home. It took over half a century of the shotgun approach to life before Vicki felt the overwhelming urge to start painting dogs. Starting with YouTube videos on using alcohol inks, her first portrait was a 4 ft x 6 ft mural of a friend’s Schnauzer who had recently passed. She then painted many portraits of friends’ pups but eventually realized that using 91% alcohol ink without ventilation was a huge mistake as it hurt her lungs and throat. She switched to other art forms and loved those even more. Eventually, friends of friends contacted her for commissioned portraits of dogs, cats, babies, and family portraits. She has difficulty saying no, as evidenced by her acceptance of a special commission to “realistically” paint three giant 6-ft tall patina’d metal sculptures of ducks taking off from sea grass and a life-sized bald Eagle. Variety keeps her creative brain engaged, and that’s where she shines.
You can contact Vicki Morris at the Fireplug Studio through her Instagram page @fireplugstudiodogart and see her work. She falls in love with every dog she paints and always gives back through rescue.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been smooth?
The biggest challenge was realizing that sometimes you need to say PASS. Trying to paint a dog from a low-quality, grainy, out-of-focus photograph can lead to a lack of fulfillment for the artist and the recipient. However, this has also led me to do more “abstract” painting where the furry details are less important than the eyes. The eyes always lead and capture the essence of the animal. And if the abstract differs from what is desired, I may recommend other artists willing to give it a go with a poor-quality photo. Sometimes you need to say thank you but no thanks.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I call myself an all-dog artist (a few cats have weaseled their way into my work, but 99% are all dogs). I am most proud of the portraits I’ve done on the 100+-year-old local barnwood because of the “ethereal” effect that occurs. It’s hard to describe, but the wood and history show through, and the result is always, without exception, a “Wow.” Customers always seem to love that I specialize in capturing their pets’ eyes; that’s often what they miss seeing the most after they’re gone.
What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
I wish everyone could “find their passion” early in life, but I’ll take it now. I get lost in painting the portraits, and time stops. Sometimes I find myself freezing in my studio, forgetting to turn on the heat. But I’m so focused and consumed with bringing the pet to life on canvas that all else ceases to exist. So the lesson in my journey is allowing myself this “gift,” this beautiful diversion and immersion. We all need to do something that makes others happy, and our hearts sing, and we need to do it more.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.fireplugstudio.com
- Instagram: @fireplugstudiodogart
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fireplugstudiodogart/
Image Credits
Vicki Morris
