Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Cat Tesla. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Cat, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
Since the COVID 19 Pandemic I find myself drawn to painting more and more abstractly, with small hints of nature peeking through. Painting is a deep dive act that happens within oneself, with a goal of pulling out something beautiful for the world to connect with. This has become even more important to me since an early diagnosed breast cancer was resolved, leaving me grateful and even more focused and motivated.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I create both non-objective mixed media paintings and nature-based abstract paintings. I’m an explorer on the canvas. I love building layers using painting and drawing, scraping back, then adding more, and pouring glossy translucent glazes over the surface. My artwork provides the viewer with a bold graphic element from a distance, but up close they’re rewarded with rich organic details and texture. I use my whole self, mind and body, to create my work. Reaching high and stretching across. I combine the strong and the soft, the smooth and the rough, the thick and the thin. Things we’re all made of.
For the past 26 years I’ve been painting and selling my work in the US and UK through galleries, designers, art consulting firms, and at art fairs and festivals I’ve juried into. I specialize in larger contemporary abstract paintings, those that make a “statement” in a space.
This year I was approached by an Italian shoe-maker in New York to have a couple of my paintings imprinted onto leather and made into Birkenstocks. You can purchase a pair here:https://www.mgsandalfactory.com/collections/cat-tesla-art
I was also approached by a winery in Sonoma California to use my art on a wine label for one of this year’s harvests. The wine will be available to purchase in 2024. Stay tuned!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I think for anyone who is an artist or is in business the 3 qualities that are essential are: 1) being a good listener, 2) being kind to anyone and everyone you meet! The art business is a small world. and 3) being resilient. Your voice matters and selling your art is simply a matter of getting it in front of the right audience.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
I love the book “Atomic Habits” by James Clear. Every artist should read this! James Clear imparts so much wisdom, but here are a few of my favorite quotes:
“It’s great to talk about mental toughness, grit, and perseverance … but what do those things actually look like in the real world? In a word, toughness and grit equal consistency.
Mentally tough artists, writers, and employees deliver on a more consistent basis than most. They work on a schedule, not just when they feel motivated. They approach their work like a pro, not an amateur. They do the most important thing first and don’t shirk responsibilities.”
″…if you can get 1 percent better each day for one year, you’ll end up thirty-seven times better by the time you’re done.”
“Making a choice that is 1 percent better or 1 percent worse seems insignificant in the moment, but over the span of moments that make up a lifetime these choices determine the difference between who you are and who you could be.”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.artbycat.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cattesla/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CatTeslaFineArt/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cat-tesla/
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/CatTesla
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CatTeslaFineArt
Image Credits
Simo Tesla
