Written by Megin Potter | Photos by @morgancampbellphoto
Embrace excess with big, bold designs that have all the jingle.
Pets + Chitzy + Curated Chaos = Kitsch (Whitney Hawkins’ style)
The artist behind What’s the Kitsch Custom Pet Portraits, Whitney Hawkins, hops through this smorgasbord of life with an exuberant zeal.
As a child growing up with ADD, she had a tough time in school, and went to four different colleges. After that, she floated around, working retail and real estate, and feeling under-stimulated.
What Whitney is good at, she says, is problem solving. That’s when she joined with the most joyous trend in design right now – maximalism.
“Just a girl trying to make her world POP with Art.”
Whitney was in Denver when she saw The Notorious B.I.G. Biggie Smalls graphic t-shirt that changed her life. She kept the colorful, four-block square design for her own design, but replaced his image with that of her maltipom, Chevy, wearing a crown.
“I made it and I loved it. I kept playing around with it. Posted it on Instagram, and it caught on quickly,” she said.
Whitney, and her business operations director/husband, Michael, now create and ship a variety of merchandise starring people’s pets.
“Pets are just too pure for this world. They don’t care what you look like or do for a living. They have no societal standards and they’re so intuitive,” said Whitney.
“They bring such light and life to everyone, especially during the holiday season. You’re not lonely with a pet. A pet connects you to yourself.”
More is More
A riot of colors in vivid hues and clashing patterns, What the Kitsch Pet Portraits are brimming with lavish ornamentation offering instantaneous emotional gratification.
Entirely self-taught, Whitney’s approach appears radical.
“I don’t overthink it so much. I kind of like that it’s not so realistic. Instead, it’s cartoony and raw.”
In addition to friends and influencers, celebrities have commissioned portraits (including comedian Heather McMahan, TV personality Carson Kressley, singer Chris Young, and others).
In August, Whitney’s equestrian designer prints, posters, and merchandise sold so quickly she couldn’t keep them in stock. Always available for pop-up events, she attends a plethora of local happenings including Saratoga’s Art in the Park, and Beekman Street Art District shows.
The Season to Sparkle
Get your pet all spruced up and ready to outshine this Christmas time.
Customized t-shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, sneakers, and dog hoodies feature your pet as a celebrity, musician, or sports star. Orders made after Dec. 1st incur a rush charge. For an 8”x 8” print, order by December 10th.
Whitney (who designs their cans) will also be bringing What’s the Kitsch to Northway Brewing Co.,1043 U.S. Rt 9, Queensbury on Dec. 17th for their holiday market.
Find What’s the Kitsch on Facebook and Instagram, and at whatsthekitsch.com
