FEATURE: Heather Renz of BumbleBird

I recently had the opportunity to find an artist on etsy.com named Heather Renz, owner and creator of BumbleBird. Heather paints, sews, and designs. Her work is indeed whimsical and endearing, I fell in love with a few of her paintings I saw in various parts of etsy and then looked through the rest of her store. Her imagination enables her to create such soft and lovable characters and subject matters. I had the chance to do an interview with her and here we go:

1. Tell me about yourself as a person, a little background, where you grew up, high school, college, current job(s), married, children.
I am originally from Oregon. My parents moved around a lot during my childhood and we finally settled in a small town near Mt. Hood on the Columbia River Gorge. I met my husband in 2001 and shortly after, moved to New England. We have two vivacious little girls ages 1 and almost 3.

2. Tell me about your business name, how did you create it? How long have you been in business? Do you sell besides etsy.com
Bumblebird is the name of the first plush toy I created for my daughter. She loved it! I enjoyed creating little bumblebird so much, that I had to use the name for my business. I opened my shop on Etsy in the fall of 2007. I currently sell my paintings, prints and plush on Etsy and have been fortunate to have my work in galleries on both coasts…

3. Describe your artistic style
I find my art to be stylized and whimsical. I love simple shapes and vibrant colors in my paintings. For my plush characters, I favor a more subdued and natural color palette with a little kick of color now and then.

4. What is your favorite color
My favorite color is red. It can change from time to time. Other color favorites are olive green, golden yellow, and the occasional teal.

5. What is your favorite thing to create?
I love to create by painting or sewing. Currently, my favorite thing to create is my plush bunny babies. These are the little babes dressed in a bunny bunting. The fabric is so soft to work with and I enjoy embroidering the expressive eyes onto their little faces and then adding blushed cheeks for a finishing touch.

6. Do you like to cook?
I do not like to cook…My family used to say, “How are you going to find a husband if you don’t cook?” I told them I plan to marry a man who cooks! They laughed….but I did. My husband has the wonderful and natural ability to make a spectacular dish without a recipe, from the meager contents of our fridge.

7. Do you have pets?
I have a crazy/sweet black haired cat named Shayla. She is 11 years old. Someday, we would like to have a dog…

8. What is your favorite season and why
My favorite season is late summer and early fall. It’s warm and I’m relaxed. It’s a great time to get together with friends outdoors. It’s also the time of the year when I go back to Oregon and visit my family.

9. If you could have any talent that you don’t currently have, what would it be?
I would love to be able to sing and play the piano. I am seriously considering taking lessons…

10. What is the best thing that your craft does for you personally?
Creating art is a necessity for me. Especially now that I’m a mom. I need that part of my old self to still exist. It lifts my spirits and takes my mind away from everyday life…and brings joy when I see my young daughter so excited by a new creation or painting away along side me!

11. What has been your favorite moment as a seller?
My most favorite moment is when I received such heart felt comments about my work. To know that it has touched someone and brought them much joy is the reason I will continue to create…

12. What is your favorite way to end your day?
My favorite way to end the day is relaxing on the couch with my husband, while enjoying a glass of red wine. Then climbing into a warm bed for a full peaceful night sleep…


You can check out all of Heather's designs and creations on her blog and etsy store!