Creative Women in Business Cindy of Yapping Cat Studio
Welcome to Creative Women in Business. Today’s feature is Cindy of Yapping Cat Studio.
Cindy has been blogging for over 2 years, is a very talented mixed media artist, and recently has had a project published in Better Homes and Gardens Holiday Crafts. With a love for vintage papers, killer penmanship ( I mean serious, drool over, I am so jealous penmanship!), and acrylic paints, she makes enchanting and delightful works of art.
Hi Cindy! How long have you been creating for?
Ever since I could hold a crayon. LOL. Always loved to draw as a kid, but really loved the whole “creating process”. Playing with paper mache’, carving soap, making masks…all those cool grade school projects.
Do you have any previous art training?
Not really. Both my Dad and my Grandmother painted and worked in pastels, so my Dad used to teach me to use both when I was in my teens. HS Art classes, some College (Commercial Art Degree). It was there that I discovered life drawing, calligraphy, etc. I also took some Tole Painting classes as well, from a local artist.
What inspired the name of your blog, Yapping Cat Studio?
It is the name of my business, which I actually started back in ’97. When I was looking for a biz name, I wanted something different. We had a orange Tabby that LOVED Tuna and he would begin to meow in sharp, frenzied meows when he would hear the can opener. My husband always called him the “yapping cat” and it stuck. And that is what I called my biz, Yapping Cat. And thus, the blog.
If you could only create one thing all of the time, what would it be?
Little scrap books, vintage paper books, anything with books. LOL. I love that process of mixing papers, colors, textures, etc to create something that can be written in and personalized with photo’s and such. I have a local gal that buys several from me at once, so that she can give them out all year long. I love figuring out a theme or color, just a starting point, for each one. And then seeing each one come together, is very satisfying.
Your work was recently published; which I know a lot of bloggers/artists dream about.. how did that come about for you?
Honestly, just by tooting my own horn. I had picked up BH&G’s Craft Ideas last year and on the editor’s page, she had said to send what you were working on. So I did! I sent an email and a few pics.
Believe me, I was floored when she sent me an email back and was interested in the houses. And it just went from there. Now I’m very encouraged to send other things in as well.
I think for crafters, we shy away from promoting ourselves. Most of us, I think, struggle with calling ourselves artisits and it is so very hard to “toot our own horns”. But very necessary. I think the, “oh-my-gosh-Neiman’s just discovered my stuff at the craft show” moments are very few and far between. (Neiman’s as in Neiman Marcus which is a huge high end store based in Dallas that has been known to shop shows for talent).
Believe me, I was floored when she sent me an email back and was interested in the houses. And it just went from there. Now I’m very encouraged to send other things in as well.
I think for crafters, we shy away from promoting ourselves. Most of us, I think, struggle with calling ourselves artisits and it is so very hard to “toot our own horns”. But very necessary. I think the, “oh-my-gosh-Neiman’s just discovered my stuff at the craft show” moments are very few and far between. (Neiman’s as in Neiman Marcus which is a huge high end store based in Dallas that has been known to shop shows for talent).
Your writing on your art is amazing! Is that your hand writing? Is that something you developed or that just came naturally to you?
Yes, that is my own hand-writing. I had taken calligraphy classes in college, but I had worked for a store that did allot of personalized gifts, so it began there. Several years later, I worked in another store and we also did personalized goods (and that was about the time the curly font was so popular) and everyone wanted the “curly” writing and it grew out of that.
What challenges do you find in making art?
Getting past the negativity in my own head. I am my own worst critique.
How did you get started selling your creations?
I started with a booth at craft mall. And my husband thought that I should take some of my painted things over to a high end store and see if they would buy. I took five flower pots, she bought 35. I almost peed my pants. LOL. And that’s when I really started pushing wholesale to small shops across the state.
What advice would you give to an artist who isn’t confident in their artistic abilities?
Well, to quote Churchhill, “Nevah, nevah, nevah give up.” Sometimes it just takes time and repetition to develop your own style and to get comfortable with a medium. When I first started painting, I kept some of my original works, and the diff between what I did then and now is pretty funny. But it also shows how I’ve grown as an artist and in the different mediums I’ve used, be it acrylic or glass paint or even paper and books.
What do you love most about creating?
Getting an idea out of my head, onto paper and then the actual process of creation. Especially love that little time zone thing that you fall into. When one minute you look up and it’s like noon and the next minute you look up it’s like 4 pm, but it only feels as if 30 minutes or so has passed. It’s that total emersion into the process of making something.
Cindy thank you so much! You can see more of Cindy’s artful creations at her blog Yapping Cat Studio or in her Etsy store.
Thanks again for stopping by…!
I’ll feature another creative woman next week!
Jen
*all pictures are property of and used with permission of Yapping Cat Studio
If you are reading this post at any other sites or blogs besides Jenniferrizzo.com, your rss feed,e-mail or in your reader this is stolen content.
*This was posted Via Jennifer Rizzo. com