ONE of Scotland's most successful portrait artists - famed for her eye-catching images of powerful women - has accused a rival of copying her work.

Laetitia Guilbaud, who famously painted Nicola Sturgeon as a dominatrix, claims Bulgarian-born Spaska Nucheva is copying her images and selling cut-price versions online.

The 37-year-old artist has now instructed a legal firm to take action in a bid to clampdown on the alleged copies.

She said: "The versions of these paintings by Nucheva are fakes.

"My paintings sell on average between £500 and £1500 but she is selling my works on eBay for as little as £50.

"I don’t know why she is doing this. I can’t understand why as an artist she would get any satisfaction or pleasure out of it.

"There is nothing creative going on here."

Ms Nucheva, who uses the name Spacey Eva Artist online, is accused of copying images such as Ms Guilbaud's racy portrayals of Kate Moss and Amy Winehouse.

She denies the accusations.

Under Scots law Ms Guilbaud is entitled to protect her intellectual property.

The French-born artist added: "I’ve spoken to my lawyer and the next step is legal action for compensation as I’m losing a lot of money. My reputation is also suffering.

"I will sue if she doesn’t take these paintings down and stop selling them.

"Some of the other stuff she does is OK so I don’t know why she has to copy mine."

Ms Guilbaud, originally from Nantes, moved to Glasgow in 2006 to be with her Scottish husband and shot to fame in 2009 thanks to her portrayal of the First Minister, which she called Naughty Nicola.

The image was bought by Sturgeon's husband and SNP chief executive Peter Murrell for £1500 as a birthday present, and is now said to hang in her official residence at Bute House in Edinburgh.

Ms Guilbaud's other famous paintings include one of Scots singer Susan Boyle reclining in her underwear with a bottle of bubbly and puffing on a cigar, and a picture of Kate Middleton clutching a champagne flute with her belly button pierced by what looked like her engagement ring.

The artist has also done a portrait of former French president Nicolas Sarkozy’s wife, singer Carla Bruni, in her underwear quaffing champagne.