09/17/2026
Meet Shirley Wallitsch: An Artist Who Followed Her Heart
Today, we’d like to introduce you to Shirley Wallitsch, an artist, gallery owner, and lifelong creative whose journey from Wyoming to New York and, eventually, New Jersey has always been guided by one thing: following her heart.
Shirley, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My story begins in Wyoming. I eventually hitchhiked to New York because of my passion for art. My first stop was in Upstate New York, where I discovered an art guild and began painting.
While I was there, I met an artist who lived in Manhattan. She asked if I would like to apprentice with her. I said yes. My apprenticeship was pretty basic—stretching canvases, mixing colors, cleaning brushes, and doing whatever needed to be done—but it gave me the opportunity to be around an artist and learn.
I also attended the Art Students League, where I took drawing and oil-painting classes with live models. I really didn’t have much money, so I took advantage of every opportunity that was available to me. I was determined to learn.
I used to go behind The New York Times building, where they would throw away rolls of paper. I would take the paper and turn it into sketch pads. My sister, back in Wyoming, would send me enough money to pay for my classes.
I spent a lot of time exploring the museums in New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art was my favorite because you could get in with whatever donation you could afford. I spent hours there drawing.
During those years, we would go to Southampton in the summers. It was my first encounter with the ocean, and I thought it was amazing.
At the same time, I began to notice something that really stayed with me. There were so many talented artists in New York, but many eventually ended up working in offices or taking jobs that had nothing to do with their art.
I knew I didn’t want that to happen to me.
I wanted to find a way to use my creativity that would also allow me to survive. I was afraid of losing touch with the thing I loved most. I didn’t want to give up on my art or stop following my heart.
So, to make a long story longer, I started creating some crazy sculptures out of found natural wood.
At the time, window displays were a big deal, and I began selling my sculptures to Saks Fifth Avenue. From there, things started to snowball, and I eventually created a business.
I moved to Westchester, where there was an abundance of natural wood. Property owners would let me use fallen and unwanted pieces, and I spent more than 10 years designing and creating all kinds of work for private homes and retail shops.
During that time, I was featured in The New York Times. While running my business, I continued working on my drawing because I never gave up painting.
Eventually, I moved to New Jersey, where I was finally able to dedicate myself more fully to painting. I love it.
Today, my business in Westfield is both my gallery and my working studio.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Never easy.
It has always been about following my heart.
During this amazing journey, I have also struggled with alcoholism, so there have been some really crazy and dark times. Fortunately, I am sober, and I have been for 36 years.
That is a huge part of my story, too. I think our difficult experiences become part of who we are, and I’m grateful to be where I am today.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I have worked in oil for years, and recently I started working with acrylics. I’m having so much fun with it!
I am always experimenting. I love abstracts, but I have also created some representational work. I love color and texture, and I like to work on a larger scale, although lately I’ve been having fun with smaller pieces, too.
I am a colorist.
For me, painting is about exploration. I don’t want to be confined to one way of working. I want to keep discovering, trying new things, and seeing where the work takes me.
Today, I own Wallitsch Art Gallery and Studio in Westfield, New Jersey. It is my working studio as well as my gallery, and I’m open to the public by appointment.
I also have an online store where my available work can be purchased at www.wallitschart.com.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Always following my heart and believing in myself.
I think that has carried me through everything—the good times, the difficult times, the changes, and all the unexpected turns along the way.
I never stopped believing that I needed to create. I never stopped being an artist.
