Peggy Watkins is a professional sporting and wildlife artist splitting her time between Aiken, SC and Cashiers, NC . Prior to Aiken, Peggy and her husband, Todd, resided in Yemassee, South Carolina at their duck hunting/equestrian estate in the ACE Basin.
Peggy's representational oil paintings can be found in collections across the US.
Venues carrying Peggy's work include the Sportsman's Gallery in Charleston, SC and Beaver Creek CO. Honors include selection as the Featured Artist for the 2008 Southeastern Wildlife Exposition held in Charleston, the 2006 Wildlife Art Magazine Publishers Award and an Award of Merit at the Artists For The New Century special exhibit at the Bennington Center For The Arts Museum in Vermont where a piece of her work is now in the museum’s permanent collection. Holland And Holland gun rooms have also represented her paintings. Peggy’s work has also been featured in several publications including Grays Sporting Journal, Shooting Sportsman Magazine, Wildlife Art Magazine, Southwest Art Magazine, and Sporting Classics.
Sporting art is the predominant subject matter of Peggy’s work. The interest began in 2003 when she was invited to a plantation in south Georgia to observe the finer points of quail hunting. Amazed at the intelligence and intensity of the bird dogs in action she decided that was something she wanted to capture. Since that first visit, she and Todd spend a good deal of time in quail woods following the dogs on horseback. Wingshooting in Scotland has also been a special interest, where the coveted Red Grouse have been has been sought in both driven and walk up shoots.
Peggy and Todd also are both avid horsemen and own two Marsh Tackies and a Connemara Pony.
Born in Washington State into a Navy family, Peggy began drawing animals at a very young age. Numerous moves across the US as well as Asia allowed her to live in many different environments. While she is self taught in the mediums of graphite and colored pencils. Peggy ultimately attended the Atlanta College of Art and studied oil painting with artist Kristopher Meadows. Peggy describes her style as impressionistic realism. As you view her work, you will come to recognize that she captures the essence of her subject while her bold use of color and strong brush strokes create a powerful and lasting impression on the imagination.
