Mike Quinn produced a pastel image featuring four beautiful HAPPA horses for the Charity which was sold, on auction site EBay, in December.

Using a photograph taken by former HAPPA Chief Officer, Kay Brandist, showing the majestic heads of HAPPA Maurice, Galaxy, Marco and Edwin.

Mike said at the time 'I have tried to capture the personality of each animal as well as producing an accurate representation of the original image.

I have made a donation of this piece of art to help the charity raise funds to support their equine welfare activities and I hope that you will consider my work worthy of a bid. The framed pastel is a signed original and not a print and I hope that with your help, we are able to achieve a worthwhile boost to HAPPA’s funds'.

HAPPA were extremely pleased when the final bids came in at over £100, which was a great boost for our winter income.

A huge thanks to everyone who bidding, and of course Mike.

About me – Mike Quinn the Artist

Although I’ve been drawing all my life, I’ve only taken up painting as more than a hobby over the last five years. I come from a family of artists on my father’s side and both he and my uncle, Tom Quinn, studied at Camberwell School of Art in South London.

I started by using watercolour, like many people new to painting and enjoyed monochrome subjects resembling the old sepia photos of the forties and fifties before moving on to acrylic and oils, still trying to develop a style I could call my own. I then became interested in pastels and enjoyed the intensity of colour they could give. I now enjoy painting pet and animal portraits in pastel and feel that I have finally found my calling!

You can view my recent work on my Facebook page (Mike Quinn Artist).