about company, the artist, and the fat dogs.

Wow! You made it to the about us section! I didn't know anyone actually read these-- I just made this page as a vanity project. Keep reading if you want to learn more about me, what I do, or you just want to see cute dogs.

fat dog arts.

I grew up surrounded by art, scouring the beach, and exploring every inch of Woodland Park Zoo. Unsurprisingly, I found my creative fervor meant I very quickly had more art than I could store. In an effort to alleviate my closet and fund my art supply habit, Fat Dog Arts was born, named for the generations of rotund Labradors that have been my constant companions since Day 1.

Animals are always my absolute favorite subjects. I like to explore how we see our own human experience in our wild neighbors and themselves in us. I figure, if we can learn to empathize with and see the humanity in an exasperated mother bird with three screaming chicks, or a determined raccoon reaching for grapes he’ll never quite reach, then maybe we can learn to see the humanity in each other.

Check out our conservation page to see how fat dog arts works for a better world.

kate shinn. artist.

I earned a BA in History with minors in Studio Art and Museum Education from Central Washington University, and spent a decade in informal education doing anything from museum interpretation to special education. The pandemic spurred a move toward a different field so I've traded coloring sheets for spreadsheets at a small family-owned mortgage brokerage in downtown Edmonds. I share an apartment in Broadview with my husband, Nolan, Josie the parakeet, and enough books and houseplants to cement my place as one of "those" millennials. When I'm not at work or doing adult things, I'm usually at home working on my art, volunteering, or gleefully losing bar trivia.

I've always heard that for an artist to be successful they need to find a niche and stay there. Maybe it's the ADHD but just thinking about that makes me itch. I am constantly trying new mediums, methods, and styles just for the fun of it-- some turn into a life long passion (ink) and some I've sworn off entirely (metal working, sorry Professor Lewis). I currently rotate between pen and ink, watercolor, acrylic, lino-print, serti silk dyeing, public art and digital painting.