Puffin-mad Shropshire artist lands National Trust deal
A Shropshire artist is to have her work sold in stately homes and historic buildings across the UK after landing a deal with the National Trust.
Meg Hawkins from Ditton Priors, near Bridgnorth, specialises in painting wildlife that she features on a range of cards, homeware products, clothing, accessories and gifts.
She has now secured a deal that will see a collection of her work featuring puffins sold in National Trust properties.
The heritage charity owns more than 500 stately homes and historic buildings in the country and they attract around 20 million visitors every year.
Mrs Hawkins, 46, a former pupil of Bridgnorth Endowed School, said she has been painting for as long as she can remember but her business, which she runs with husband Adrian and 26-year-old daughter Coral, has been going for eight years.
She said: "Last June I did a trade show in London and somebody from the National Trust came to my stand. Their head office had decided to do a range of wildlife scenes and they really liked my puffin designs."
She added that her love for the black and white seabirds that feature on her products was ignited following a visit the Farne Islands in Northumbria around four years ago.
"I just love puffins. They are the cutest of birds," she said. "It took about six months for the deal to go through, and there was lots of details to sort out such as ensuring all of my products are eco-friendly, but having somebody like the National Trust choose my work, means more to me than anything."
Her first order of puffin products for organisation, which feature on gifts ranging from cards to magnets, was shipped to the Lake District in January.
"I don't know yet how many of the National Trust properties will be selling them but as my range features puffins I imagine it'll mainly be in their coastal properties," she said.
However, the National Trust deal is not the first time the artist has been recognised.
Her products are sold worldwide and she has in the past shipped orders to Iceland, Canada, the USA, Europe and even South Georgia in Antarctica.
Anybody interested in Meg's work can learn more on her website meghawkins.co.uk.
