Weezie Hype Girl: Dorothy Shain

Oct 31, 2019 | Written by Liz Eichholz

Artist Dorothy Shain lives life in full color. Everything she makes—from abstracts, to painting of sneakers and bathing suits, to actual bathing suits—brightens up a room. Her sunny outlook and upbringing in Greenville, SC is reflected in her work...and now, it’s wrapped around Weezie. We collaborated with her to design our holiday packaging (pssst...you can get it starting 11/5). Below, we talked to Dorothy about her process, enjoying the stay, and the productivity hack she can’t live without.

Tell us a little about yourself, Dorothy!

My name is Dorothy Shain and I am an artist based in Greenville, SC. I have been pursuing art for the past 5 years and it has been a total thrill + joy. While I said that I would never move back to my hometown, family was calling. I am so lucky to get to see most of family (nieces and nephews included) on the reg. I am also a full time mother to a very stubborn but amazing French Bulldog named Lucy.

We are SO excited about our holiday packaging collaboration! How did the collaboration come to be?

I am too! I am over the moon about it. The collaboration came to be through my sweet and talented friend Betsy Cribb, the style editor at Southern Living. Betsy reached out to make a connection!

What is your process like when starting a new painting series? Where do you gather inspiration?

I always start small. I block off time on my calendar to pull colors, think through conversations, sketch until an idea clicks. While inspiration does come from outside sources, it also comes from putting my head down and getting to work. The most magical and unexpected things happen in the studio….and that is inspiring to me!

Congrats on hitting your 5th year in business! What a milestone! How do you stay motivated and productive? Favorite productivity hack?!

That means so much, thank you! I stay motivated by nerding out and reading various business books and listening to podcasts. I also stay motivated because I have a killer support system. I have parents who have unshakable faith in me, who are there to remind that everything is going to be ok when I am discouraged.

Productivity hack…I love this one. I do a total brain dump on Mondays on a piece of paper. I go through and divide those tasks into categories. Each day, I come in, grab a sticky note and I write down all of the priorities from the list. Someone once told me that you can’t get more accomplished in a day than you can fit on a sticky…my issue? I just write smaller and smaller. Ha!

How do you make sure you are enjoying your stay on the daily?

Ohh! I just love this. I love to fill my studio and house with little bowls of chocolates (my mom has done this my whole life). I’m a big believer in treats! Sometimes I drink my water out of a wine glass and throw orange slices in….that makes me feel fancy!

I drink a LOT of hot teas. Yogi teas are my favorite. They are so calming to me during the day and require a break to drink!

What's one piece of advice you'd give your younger self?

Listen to your gut.

Favorite place you've traveled and why?

Jackson Hole in the winter. Growing up, my family never went skiing (we are more beach people). So, when I went to JH for the first time in the winter, saw the snowy mountains, sat in the hot springs, met the coolest people…I just died and went to heaven. It is such a special mountain town.