"I have had two requests for, as the customer put it, ugly cats. One had to be crabby and ugly, and the other was just plain ugly. Most of what I do is known for beauty or cuteness, so it was rather hard to make a face ugly!"

Besides the occasional hard-to-do "ugly" requests, there's one more thing Lucy admits as being hard.

"Getting the ears correct seems to be the hardest. The easiest it getting them in the pose I want. But those ears!"

Of course, the whole process of creating a piece based on a customer's photo and details of the dog is, in itself, a daunting task. Any dog owner will tell you that they can pick out their pet from a hundred look-a-likes without hesitation. Perhaps they can see their pet's character, or perhaps the emotional bond between owner and pet has a strength that is unexplainable. Whatever it is, be sure that a miniature dog sculpture must convey all of the attributes and emotions that the real dog has, and a hallmark of Lucy's work is being able to capture the intangible.

"Getting a dog's facial expression is hard sometimes. They have to look just like that dog did or does in life."

Lucy's firm belief is that dogs are timeless and her art is absolute proof that indeed, they are. While many miniature artists hear their work referred to as "cute", "so sweet", "adorable", and the ever popular "it looks just right on my mini table!" Lucy is among a very select group of artisans who can point to any one of their creations and say that it is "Beloved".

To see more of her obsession, please visit Lucy's Gallery here at CDHM.