Behind the Canvas celebrated a ribbon cutting last week to commemorate the recent opening of the business in Downtown Hartselle. Shelley Paulsen and her husband John are the owners of the business. | Randy Garrison

Clif Knight

Hartselle Enquirer

A newcomer business in downtown Hartselle is Behind the Canvas offering fine art instruction, a studio and a gallery.

The studio offers individual and group art lessons for ages four to adult.  Instruction is geared towards developing artistic skills involving all elements of art including line, shape, forms, space, color and texture. Class schedules are designed to serve students with a wide range of skill levels and artistic goals.

Behind the Canvass has a spot for you no matter if you’re looking to advance technical skills, want to build a portfolio for art competitions, or are simply looking for a stress-relieving hobby.

Art workshops and painting parties and private and semi-private lessons are available upon request.

The resident artist behind the canvas is Shelley Paulsen, who is achieving a Life dream of opening a teaching art studio and gallery.

“It seems like I have been standing behind a canvas for most of my life,” Paulsen said. “Many of my earliest memories involve drawing with my own  mother (and the frustration I felt that I couldn’t draw as well as she). These memories have helped guide my teaching methods both with my own children and others.”

Paulsen is a 1990 graduate of Auburn University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.  Her emphasis was in painting and drawing with an additional heavy emphasis in illustration.

Her artwork has covered a wide range of subjects over the years including human figures, animals and landscapes.

“I work in a wide range of media, ranging from pencil and charcoal to watercolors, acrylics and oils,” she pointed out.

My commissioned artwork includes portrait drawings and paintings on traditional paper, canvas and memorabilia like baseballs and softballs, as well as wall murals and painted backdrops for events.

“I always love having the opportunity to pass my experience on to others,” she added. “I have the pleasure of teaching both group and private lessons in my home studio and have assisted my students in participating in competitions like the Alabama Junior Duck Stamp Contest and our local Depot Days Art Contest.”

An open house is being planned during Hartselle’s Christmas Open House Sun., Nov. 1.

Studio hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Thursday and Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

Paulsen’s husband John is a software engineer for Boeing Corp. in Huntsville. They have three adult children. Alex is a graduate of The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa with a B.S. degree in chemistry and a second year medical student at UAB. Twins John and Rachael are attending The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa He is a second year student studying mechanical engineering and she is a second year student studying nursing.