“I cried,” she told the News-Sun about her nomination. “Thinking about it right now still makes me feel a little emotional because it validated our decision to take this leap. People are seeing me, people are recognizing me. It wasn’t a bad decision to quit my job.”
Shuttleworth’s forays into art began at the age of three. Time spent being babysat by her grandfather, an avid painter himself and Bob Ross enthusiast, would lead her to pick up a brush for the first time.
“We would watch Bob Ross and just paint. He did more landscapes and the Ross style. He was so talented, and I learned so much from him,” Shuttleworth said.
Hailing from South Charleston, Shuttleworth grew up regularly visiting Springfield. She also credits a highly supportive art teacher at Southeastern High School with helping hone her craft.
After graduation, the future professional painter would go on to study fine arts and photography at the Columbus College of Art and Design.
“After I moved back to Springfield after college, I kind of lost my drive to do art, to paint, to do anything really. It was just a lot, and I didn’t have it in me. When I met my husband and he found out I was an artist, he encouraged me to start painting again,” she said.
The pair have been together for a decade, and Shuttleworth cites him as a major pillar of support. His encouragement was a key influence behind her decision to return to art after a number of years. His aunt, a former head of Flags and Canines, would also be the first person to commission her to create portraits of dogs for the business.
Shuttleworth painted 4-foot-by-4-foot paintings to go on their fence, she said, so when customers would come in, they would see portraits of dogs, some with toys in their mouths.
“I realized I had a real knack for painting dogs and started offering custom pet portraits to people,” she said.
From portraits to public canvases, Shuttleworth’s portfolio has grown to now encompass a full scope of artistic creations for her customers. As a result, she has created portraits for more than a thousand dogs, scores of people and designs for several businesses. Among the works she is most proud of is a 12-foot-by-30-foot mural in Hi Hat Social, a restaurant and cocktail bar at 28 S. Limestone St. in Springfield.
“That’s the largest mural I’ve painted,” she said of the painting, which features three musicians. “You can see their personalities in it. It takes you back to their time. Its such a cool thing for me to see and talk about all the time.”
The musicians depicted are Ada Lee, John Dessinger and Earl Warren. As part of her artistic process, she listened to Lee sing while painting her and drew inspiration from Dessinger’s real-life drum set, which is displayed in the restaurant.
“I can capture personalities very well in my artwork. Dogs that don’t speak have a lot of personality in their eyes. I’ve always been told, ‘You just capture their personality, their soul in your paintings,’” she said .
While for years, Shuttleworth took bookings on the side. After paying off the family home, she decided to leave her job in government and focus on art full-time.
Other businesses where her work can be seen include Sunflower Yoga and Blended By J.
“My husband and I said we would give it a year,” she said. “It’s been a really wonderful year. It’s my first year out on my own, and I got nominated for Best of Springfield, which is just incredible.”
Clearly, it’s a decision she does not regret.
“I wouldn’t change it for the world. This has been the most amazing summer. I get to do art whenever I want,” said Shuttleworth.
She also encourages others to take the leap to pursue their dreams.
“There’s going to be tears, there’s going to be happiness,” she said. “We’re not the richest people in the world, but I’m living my dream.”
Shuttleworth now has even bigger dreams, such as one day owning a space for artists in Springfield.
If given the chance, she hopes it will offer a platform for creative expression and development free from the pressures of more formal art schools.
“A long-term goal would be to have a studio space where people could come and do their work,” Shuttleworth said.
Her goal would be to create a space that is open to artists to come and paint and do ceramics, she said.
“I want to make it affordable for everyone. I think things that make you happy should be affordable,” she said.
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