Designer. Explorer. Artist.

 

A passion for everything art

Welcome to my website and shop! I am a wildlife and portrait artist based in beautiful San Diego, California. Although I primarily operate out of my home studio, I am an artist and teacher at the Spanish Village, Studio 8 in Balboa Park (a must see stop if you are visiting San Diego), and on select weekend days you will find me doing live art. I offer Pet Portraits, Wildlife Commissions, Originals, and Print Reproductions which you can book and purchase from right here on my website. While I am continuously exploring and developing my skill-set in different mediums, my deepest passion is in working on scratchboard with subject focus namely on pets, wildlife, and pretty faces. I offer tutorials and resources for learning scratchboard which you can find more information here.  I hope my work inspires you in any way you may perceive it.

My scratchboard commissions for wildlife and custom pet portraits are closed for the remainder of 2026. Please visit the Pet Portrait page to read all of the details and fill out the inquiry form if you would like to be added to the wait list for when my commissions re-open next year.

Chelsea Paulus

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Mediums I create with…

Scratchboard

Scratchboard

I was introduced to scratchboard in an animal illustration class at UCSD and fell head over heels in love within the first few marks. It is a dramatic and unique medium that is still not very well known and these are partly what draws me so much into it. I love the ability to utilize the dark background and make subjects seem as though they are appearing through or fading into light.

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Other Media

Acrylic

In 2021 I started playing around with acrylic to give my wrist a break from scratchboard, and I am eager to continue learning this medium. Since scratchboard is black and white, and I don’t typically add much color,  acrylic is the perfect way for me to express the color urges that build up in my creative muse. Stay tuned for more!

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Watercolor

Watercolor

Using my favorite water-based inks and watercolor paints to create these wildlife pieces allows me to have so much creativity. Through paint splatter, water drips, bright & vibrant colors, I can’t describe how much fun I truly have creating these. I also love studying the fine details of all the animals. It let’s me learn more about them and almost see them in a new way.

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About the Artist

Chelsea Paulus

Chelsea Paulus was born and raised in Arizona and currently resides in San Diego, California with her husband and young son. From a young age, Chelsea loved illustration and found passion in many art forms which has since, helped fuel her inspiration to create. With the desire to further her skillsets from illustration to realism and other styles, Chelsea has studied independently at the Art Academy of San Diego and the University of California San Diego Extension.

With her most passionate medium, Chelsea uses lighting techniques and tools to create powerful and dramatic works on scratchboard; creating the subjects as though they are emerging from or fading into dark. Her main subject focus is on animals which stems from her utmost love for the earth and the beauty animals bring to it, along with a profound passion for creating works of women with elements that further provoke their beauty and emotion.

Chelsea is an artist and teacher at the beautiful Spanish Village in San Diego’s Balboa Park through the Village Arts and Education Foundation. She has also shown her work through ArtWalk San Diego, Hanalei Artworks, Escondido Arts Partnership, The Studio Door, Off Track Gallery, and is expanding to other galleries and exhibitions to showcase the unique medium and continue to pursue to her ambition as an artist – to ignite emotion in those who view her art. 

Chelsea is also a published children’s picture book author-illustrator and you can view her books and information here.

Artist Statement

“As an artist, I find inspiration to create from many avenues, and with that has come the desire to explore different mediums as I have grown through my art career. I initially started my business as a watercolor artist in which I developed a series of bright and vibrant wildlife pieces. This series has continued to bring fun and joy to the homes of my buyers. As I grew as an artist and made the transition to scratchboard in 2018, it allowed me to fully express how I see so many forms of raw beauty in this world. Creating my subjects as though they are appearing from or fading into dark, it defines my purpose as an artist, which is not just to mirror the images I am creating from, but to ignite emotion in those who view it.”

Ayna – Means “mirror” in Turkish.

 

My husband and I met in Turkey just like my grandparents did, and being part Turkish, I found this to be a unique way of branding my art. I feel that my purpose as an artist is to not only mirror the pictures I am creating from, but to also reflect emotions.

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