Please list any awards or contests you’ve won outside of GCU.

I’ve had a few yays including Best in Show Booth and a Pet Industry Best New Product featuring my artworks on gift decor but my biggest win (and this will sound cheesy) is winning the hearts of pet lovers who view my paintings.

Please list the URLs of your 3 favorite cards in your storefront and why they are your favorites.

1. Stay PAWSitive Canine Painting One of my most popular cards. Over 1500 sold. Created from a painting of one of our past dogs named Takoda, meaning, Friend. His name and heart lives on with every send of this card.

Bless This Nest Eastern Bluebird All Occasion One of the first cards I created for Greeting Card Universe. 

My 3^rd favorite card is going to be the next card I create for my store! I hope it will be a favorite of card shoppers too. Thanks for looking. 

What was your inspiration for the make-over changes to your winning card? Please walk us through the process of how this card went from before to after.

This month’s design challenge had card artists examining their stores for a card with 0 sales and editing that card with new image and/or text but to keep the category and intended recipient the same. I had recently completed a painting of 20 dogs for the 20^th anniversary of a Rescue I do annual art gift ornaments for. A painting of 20 dogs is so much more suited for a PAWty invitation card than my original card art of just one breed specific dog. Ta Da! Let’s PAWty!

Your cards feature a lot of animals. Tell us where your love of animals started and the big question, how many pets do you have?

We have two pet family members, Abby, our cat and Willie, our dog, but many chunks of our hearts have previously been taken by past animal fosters and family. The love of animals has no pinpoint. 

What sparked your interest in art? Did you start as a young child?

Yes, blessed to be influenced by art appreciators and encouragement as a young child.

Do you have formal training or are you self-taught?

 Namely, self-taught but with credit to an Italian realistic artist named Mario Aromi. He spoke few English words but through the language of art, he taught me to draw and paint realistically. Credit also to a now dear friend who taught folk art. After years of not painting, I attended her folk art class. Voila, she ignited my creative and I was soon booking art and craft shows to sell my work.

Is your work done by hand and then scanned or do you work entirely on the computer?

By hand, then scanned for reproduction on greeting cards and art gift decor. I am better with a brush stroke than a keystroke.

Have you ever/do you currently have a job other than as an artist?

I was a full-time ‘starving’ but happy to be an artist for many years. I currently flog merchandise in a thrift store 4 days a week and dabble with art for online sales. Hoping to be more of a dabbler in days to come.

What GCU artist(s) do you admire?

Hard to narrow down, from 3000+! Two artists instantly come to mind, Corrie Kuiper and Doreen Erhardt, not just for their inspirational card creations but for the hours of time they dedicate to serving the GCU community with tips, help and challenges.

You have been with Greeting Card Universe since 2007. What advice do you have for an artist considering joining GCU’s community?

Join in Design Challenges, educate yourself with Greeting Card Universe’s wiki resources before you upload your first card. Learn from the fantastic reviewers. Don’t be discouraged. GCU’s reviewers set a high bar with good reason. Clear the bar. You’ll smile when you do.

What would we be surprised to learn about you?

Hmmm, nothing up my sleeve that would surprise. I live, I love, I learn, I laugh … thanks for spending time with me on Mindy’s blog. Cheers, Lisa Charlton, Cards from the heART.