Meow! Painting Charlie

A lot of people are scared of cats, allergic to them or just don't like them. Not sure why because cats are SO cute. At least mine is! I may have just given away that I am a cat lover, so you won't be surprised when I tell you that I LOVE Heidi Shaulis' paintings! Don't worry! You don't have to be a cat lover to appreciate Heidi's art. The colors are vibrant, the subject matter playful, and the technique executed brilliantly. Now, lets find out more about Heidi and what she thinks of her own work.

NM: How would you describe your paintings?
HS: Oil paintings of cats, most often my tuxedo cat, Charlie, in both cat poses and anthropomorphic ones.

NM: What is your favorite thing to draw and why?
HS: I love to paint cats. I've always been drawn to them.

NM: How long have you been painting for?
HS: 24 years!

NM: Did you go to school for art? If yes, what did you specialize in? If not, how did you get into this form of art?
HS: No, I went to school to be an archaeologist and even have an MA from UPenn. That was my career for years. I started painting as a fun thing to try when I was in graduate school; played with it for years before I thought my paintings were finally okay enough to share.

NM: Do you paint full time?
HS: Yes, as often as I can. Sometimes 7 days a week.

NM: Have you ever thought about illustrating for children's books? Or do you currently?
HS: I would love to and might someday...

NM: Is your work on display in galleries? If so, where?
HS: Not currently. After trying both consignment through galleries and direct sales via the internet, I've found I prefer to sell on the internet...a much broader audience is available and I really enjoy the interaction with customers. Through galleries you rarely get to know your customers.

NM: Are your items available anywhere other than Etsy?
HS: Currently I use Etsy as my storefront. Occasionally I auction pieces on ebay. I started westcorinthstudio with my husband Isaac who is a woodworker, and recently opened my own etsy address for just my cat art.

NM: How do you attract people to your shop? Where/how do you promote your shop?
HS: Currently I am most interested in the possibilities of social networking and am using my Facebook fan page as a way to communicate with a target audience. My cat Charlie has his own Facebook page and has over 1000 friends!

NM: Do you have a blog? If so, please tell us a little bit about it.
HS: I do, but once I found Facebook, I abandoned it. I prefer to just post updates to my facebook fan page.

NM: Thanks Heidi! You work is beautiful and I wish you luck with your Etsy shop. I hope one day your work does make it into children's book, as it really does deserve it.

Readers, please share your thoughts on Heidi's work in the comments section. Hope everyone has a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

Business Information

Name: Heidi Shaulis

Business/Shop Name: Heidi Shaulis

Location: Corinth, Vermont

Website URL: www.heidishaulis.com

Etsy URL: heidishaulis.etsy.com

Facebook Fan Page: www.new.facebook.com/pages/Heidi-Shaulis/108485365503?ref=nf