Meet Carolyn Watson Dubisch | artist, writer and illustrator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Carolyn Watson Dubisch and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Carolyn, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Well, I’m an artist and writer first and the business(es) happened because we live in a capitalist society and money must be made. For my mask making stop, I launched it because in 2015 I had just had a successful solo show at a gallery and sold nearly all my sculptures. My oldest daughter had just started college and I thought how can I keep these sales going? So I launched an Etsy store called Artisan Masks and started selling lightweight sculpted masks that I have shipped all over the world at this point. My masks have been in movies, used on Netflix and Hulu shows, featured in fashion shows during men’s fashion week in NYC and in so, so many music videos and stage productions.

Another business is our publishing company, Abigail Books. We (my husband and I have published children’s books and comic books for 2 decades now. Some of my children’s books like Dragon Stones, and Jabberwocky have won awards. Some of my children’s comic book series have also been well received and won awards. Abigail books publishes “The People That Melt in The Rain” a young adult series of comics written by me and illustrated by my husband, Mike Dubisch. These books are getting amazing reviews, good sales and have won 2 Reader’s Favorite Awards and a gold Literary Titan award. It’s been pretty incredible. We have three upcoming titles that will be released in the second half of 2025, “Giant’s Kingdom” -from my kids comic series “the Dragon in the Closet”, “Doorways”-which is book 4 of The People That Melt in the Rain, and a children’s book called “Crow’s Christmas Star”.

My third business is as a professional illustrator, which I’ve been doing since graduation from The School of Visual Arts in 1993. Right now I am illustrating a children’s book called “Just a Little Bit more” by author RH Bynum. This is the second book in the series. The first book called “Just Down the Street” is just charming and came out early this year.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As a sculptor I have made many different large scale paper mache art pieces for The Grand Avenue festival in Phoenix, Arizona, a giant millipede for Carnaval, in Mexico, and giant vegetables for a Children’s Museum in Washington DC. One of the most exciting things I have done for my art was traveling to Morocco for a summer with my family in 2017. I was there to create an art installation titled “Night over Tetouan” for a school and was invited there by Green Olive Arts studios. It was honestly one of the most incredible experiences of my life.
For my sculpture work the thing I’m most excited about is still pretty tentative. I am hoping to create some online programs to teach people how to sculpt using paper mache. It’s something I will be working on over this summer.

As a illustrator I have many, many projects happening, but this summer I will need to complete my work for “Just a Little Bit More” – the children’s book by RH Bynum. Both this book and the one before it are set in Mazatlán, Mexico and in the fall it seems the author and I will be touring some schools and locations in Mazatlán to promote the book series which. should be exciting.

One thing I have learned about being an artist and an author is that you must do your art whether or not someone is paying you. If it’s something you want to do with your life you need to just do it. If you want to be an artist, but right now you spend your days selling sandwiches, come home and work on your art and publish it or show it in coffee shops (in fact I have art up in a coffee shop right now!). Also never call yourself anything but an artist or writer even if you’ve never made a dime with your art or writing, because that’s who you are-not a sandwich maker ( though those people call themselves artists for some reason).

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I couldn’t tell you anything that would be particularly helpful. Like I said, I’m a author and artist I spend my days in my studio and rarely leave to. explore the city. I’m the kind of person that barely noticed when lockdown happened.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My husband, Mike Dubisch, has made my creative journey a success. He’s been supportive of all that I have done with my art and writing since we met at the School of Visual Arts in New York.

Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ArtisanMasks

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artbycwdubisch/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carolyn.w.dubisch

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CWatsonD

Other: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Carolyn-Watson-Dubisch/author/B004CS6K4G