Artist Spotlight: Meet Cathy Walters and Her Joyful, Animal-Filled Art

If you have ever worked on a WerkShoppe puzzle filled with curious animals, colorful flowers, cozy places and tiny details that make you smile, there is a good chance you have come across the work of Cathy Walters.

Cathy grew up in Northern California and studied art at San Jose State University and UCLA. Today, she lives by the sea in New England with her husband and Pancake, their very loved Puerto Rican rescue dog. Animals have long been at the heart of her work, which often gives them personalities, relationships and little worlds of their own.

That love of animals is very real off the canvas, too. Cathy is a devoted dog person, especially when it comes to Pancake. She loves living near the ocean, practicing yoga and trying to perfect her chocolate chip cookie recipe. Her mornings start with thoughts of coffee and whatever she gets to paint next.

She also has some strong opinions. Parsnips are out. So is crab grass. Crinkly wrapping paper is apparently unbearable. And according to Cathy, there is only one acceptable way to pronounce milk: “melk.”

What Makes Cathy Walters' Artwork So Recognizable?

Cathy's work has an easy warmth to it. Her paintings are colorful without feeling overly polished, and the animals often seem like they have wandered into the middle of a story. Dogs pile together for adventures. Birds become part of intricate botanical scenes. Cats settle into bookshelves exactly where a cat would decide it belongs.

Look closely and you may also find one of Cathy's favorite recurring details: hearts. She loves them and works them into almost all of her paintings.

There is a playfulness to her work that makes it especially well suited to jigsaw puzzles. A larger scene may catch your eye first, but once you start putting the pieces together, the smaller details become part of the fun.

New Cathy Walters Puzzles for Fall

Cathy's newest seasonal artwork has arrived just in time for the shift into fall, with pumpkins, sunflowers and the kind of small-town scenes that make you want to spend an afternoon at the puzzle table.

Autumn on Main 1000 Piece Puzzle turns a small-town main street into a picture-perfect fall afternoon. Warm storefronts, pumpkins along the sidewalks and changing leaves give the scene plenty to discover as the puzzle comes together.

Animal lovers may gravitate straight toward Pumpkin Pals 1000 Piece Puzzle. A group of dogs gathers around a vintage truck loaded with pumpkins, combining two Cathy Walters favorites: expressive animals and a colorful seasonal setting.

For a softer take on the season, Sunflowers 500 Piece Puzzle fills the table with oversized sunflower blooms, wildflowers, butterflies and bees. The 500-piece format also makes it a nice choice when you want an afternoon puzzle rather than a longer 1000-piece project.

More New Artwork From Cathy Walters

Fall is only part of Cathy's newest WerkShoppe collection.

Her love of the coast shows up in Beach Boardwalk 1000 Piece Puzzle, a colorful seaside scene dotted with places like an ice cream shop, surf shop, café and flower cart. It feels fitting for an artist who loves living near the ocean herself.

Beautiful Birds 1000 Piece Puzzle takes a different approach, gathering illustrated birds against a soft green background. Swans, cardinals, owls, ravens and other species turn the finished puzzle into something closer to an illustrated nature study.

And then there is Doggie Surf School 1000 Piece Puzzle, where a group of surf-ready dogs, a vintage van and a beach full of boards bring Cathy's sense of humor into the picture. It is hard to imagine this one coming from anyone who doesn't genuinely love dogs.

Cat people aren't left out. Cats on Books 250 Piece Puzzle Set includes three separate 250-piece puzzles featuring cats sprawled, perched and lounging across colorful bookshelves. Each puzzle is finished with gold foil embellishments, giving the set an extra decorative detail and making it an especially fun gift for someone whose interests are divided equally between cats and books.

Who Will Love Cathy Walters Puzzles?

Cathy's artwork is an easy match for someone who chooses a puzzle as much for the art as for the activity itself. Her collection has plenty for dog and cat lovers, bird watchers, gardeners and people drawn to coastal or seasonal scenes.

There is also a certain kind of puzzler who likes a scene with personality. They want to notice the dog in the corner, find the tiny flower tucked into the background or wonder what is happening behind the next storefront. Cathy's illustrations reward that kind of attention.

Her puzzles also make thoughtful gifts when you know what someone loves but aren't sure exactly what to buy them. A dog person might immediately connect with Pumpkin Pals or Doggie Surf School. Someone who spends every summer near the water may appreciate Beach Boardwalk. A book lover with a cat at home is going to understand Cats on Books immediately.

And if the person you are shopping for appreciates artwork that feels cheerful, a little quirky and full of animals, you may have found their artist.

Explore all Cathy Walters puzzles and artwork at WerkShoppe.