News

Jonathan the Tortoise: Oldest Living Land Animal and Crypto Hoax Victim
Jonathan the Tortoise: Oldest Living Land Animal and Crypto Hoax Victim
Jonathan the tortoise at Plantation House by Kevstan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.Picture it: The Seychelles, 1832. Andrew Jackson is United States President. Earl Grey (yes the tea guy)... Read more...
Cats in Art Through the Centuries
Cats in Art Through the Centuries
Cats have been in art since humans started making art. They were gods. Then they were demons. Now they're on the internet. Here's the whole journey, more or less.(Pictured above:... Read more...
How to Tell If an Art Print Is Good Quality
How to Tell If an Art Print Is Good Quality
Not all art prints are created equal. Some will last decades. Some will fade before you finish paying off your credit card. Here's how to tell the difference without needing... Read more...
I Painted One Eye Pete. Then We Tried to Find Out if He Was Real.
I Painted One Eye Pete. Then We Tried to Find Out if He Was Real.
You've probably seen him. A scruffy kitten on a step, sepia-toned, with handwritten text: "TOUGH, I AM" at the top and "ONE EYE PETE" at the bottom. The internet claims... Read more...
What Makes a Fine Art Print Worth the Price?
What Makes a Fine Art Print Worth the Price?
If you've ever looked at a fine art print and thought "I could get a poster for ten bucks," that's fair. I get it. Let me explain what you're actually... Read more...
What Size Art Print Should You Get? A Room-by-Room Guide
What Size Art Print Should You Get? A Room-by-Room Guide
Picking a size is the part where most people freeze. You find a print you love, you get to the size selector, and suddenly you're standing in your living room... Read more...
Art Prints vs Canvas Prints: What's the Difference?
Art Prints vs Canvas Prints: What's the Difference?
I get asked this a lot! Usually by folks who’ve seen canvas prints at HomeSense or Walmart, and wonders why they'd pay more for a paper print from us. Fair... Read more...
Shipping Update for Our U.S. Customers (Part 3: The One Where It Actually Gets Better!)
Shipping Update for Our U.S. Customers (Part 3: The One Where It Actually Gets Better!)
We have good news! Real, actual, no-asterisks good news. Greeting cards and limited edition prints are now tariff-free for U.S. customers. No surcharge at checkout. No 35% gut punch. Just... Read more...
The $29 “Interior Design Magazine” Scam Email
The $29 “Interior Design Magazine” Scam Email
We get a lot of unhinged spam here at the Studio.  A LOT.For example, who can forget the AI generated email from a Chinese company trying sell us coffee AND... Read more...
The Small Works Season
The Small Works Season
As the holidays get closer, the big gifts tend to steal the spotlight. But anyone who has dug into a stocking or opened a small, unexpected surprise knows that the... Read more...
How Collectors Store and Display Prints
How Collectors Store and Display Prints
Collecting art does not end when you bring a print home. What happens next is just as important: how you choose to keep it safe, how you decide to present... Read more...
Holiday Shipping Survival Guide
Holiday Shipping Survival Guide
The holiday season is our busiest time of year. It is also the most unpredictable for shipping. Carriers handle record volumes, weather disruptions pile up, and sometimes a parcel just... Read more...
Holiday Gift Guide 2025
Holiday Gift Guide 2025
If you're looking for gifts this year, we put together a guide to make it easier. It's got some of our bestsellers plus a few newer prints. Different subjects, different... Read more...
The Gift of Original Art
The Gift of Original Art
This year, skip the socks. Forget the gadgets that end up in a drawer. The holidays deserve better! Original art makes a gift that lasts. It is thoughtful, it is... Read more...
Limited Edition, Unlimited Headaches
Limited Edition, Unlimited Headaches
Limited Edition, Unlimited Headaches From the outside, limited editions look glamorous: hand-signed, numbered prints with certificates of authenticity and a touch of exclusivity. But from the artist’s side of the... Read more...
The Hidden Costs of Running an Independent Art Studio
The Hidden Costs of Running an Independent Art Studio
When people imagine an art studio, they picture the creative side: paintings taking shape, new prints being released, and a smooth process of turning ideas into finished work. What rarely... Read more...
Instagram Giveaway: win any art print up to 16"x20"!
Instagram Giveaway: win any art print up to 16"x20"!
It's been a while, so we've decided to run another giveaway on Instagram!  One winner will choose any unframed Ugly Cat Studio art print up to 16"x20" (40x50 cm).   Here's... Read more...
AI Can’t Replace This: Why Human-Made Art Still Matters
AI Can’t Replace This: Why Human-Made Art Still Matters
The rise of AI images has stirred up a lot of talk about creativity. With the right prompt, you can spin up something that looks polished in seconds. We even... Read more...
Almost-Famous: Our (non) moment in the sun on Grand Designs UK 😅
Almost-Famous: Our (non) moment in the sun on Grand Designs UK 😅
If you’ve watched the Grand Designs UK “Bedfordshire 2025” episode, you might not have spotted our work… because it didn’t actually make it to air. This is the story of... Read more...
We miss you Piper! 😿
We miss you Piper! 😿
Some cats drift in and out of your life without leaving much of a mark. Piper was not one of those. The first time we saw her was in the... Read more...
Why Professional Giclée Prints Beat Home Printing Every Time
Why Professional Giclée Prints Beat Home Printing Every Time
Why We Don't Recommend Printing at HomeYou've spent hours perfecting your artwork. The composition is finally right, the colors are exactly what you wanted, and you're ready to see it... Read more...
Why Fine Art Prints Cost More Than Posters (And Why It's Worth It)
Why Fine Art Prints Cost More Than Posters (And Why It's Worth It)
Fine art prints use archival inks on heavy cotton paper. They last decades. Posters are mass-printed on thin stock and fade fast. They look kinda similar at first glance. Both... Read more...
Behind the Scenes: How We Prep for the Holiday Rush
Behind the Scenes: How We Prep for the Holiday Rush
Every fall, while everyone else is sipping pumpkin lattes and pretending they have all the time in the world before December hits, we’re already in full prep mode. The holiday... Read more...
Once Again… Canada Post Is on Strike
Once Again… Canada Post Is on Strike
The strike is over now, and they've switched to "rolling" service outages.  So things are mostly back to normal, and we're starting to ship items out with Canada post again. Read more...
What We’ve Learned from a Year of Shipping Art Around the World
What We’ve Learned from a Year of Shipping Art Around the World
Running a small art studio is not just about making prints. It is also about figuring out how to get them safely to your wall, whether you are in Toronto,... Read more...
Shipping Update for Our U.S. Customers (Part 2: Tariff Boogaloo)
Shipping Update for Our U.S. Customers (Part 2: Tariff Boogaloo)
Good news, sort of: We can finally ship again to the United States. Our limited edition prints and greeting cards are no longer outright blocked at the border. But, because... Read more...
How to Display Art Prints Without Damaging Your Walls
How to Display Art Prints Without Damaging Your Walls
Worried about putting holes in your walls? Whether you’re renting or just like to keep things flexible, these wall-safe display ideas will help you showcase your giclée fine art prints... Read more...
Shipping Update for Our U.S. Customers
Shipping Update for Our U.S. Customers
Update – Sept 17: We can now ship again to the U.S. Limited edition prints and greeting cards are allowed through, but they’re slapped with a 35% tariff at checkout... Read more...
Why I Don't Do Custom Pet Portraits or Commissions
Why I Don't Do Custom Pet Portraits or Commissions
HomeI get asked this a lot—"Do you do custom pet portraits?" And I totally get why. If you've browsed through The Ugly Cat Studio for even a few seconds, you’ve... Read more...
"Clementines" Art print in a natural wood frame, on a shelf.
Framing Matters: Choosing the Right Frame for Your Art
Framing is one of those things that seems simple—until you’re standing there holding a print, wondering what frame will actually feel right. Should it match your furniture? Should it make... Read more...
Why We Chose Our Greeting Card Paper ✉️
Why We Chose Our Greeting Card Paper ✉️
Why we chose matte 15pt paper for our greeting cards—rich color, smooth writing, no gloss. Real-world testing, Canadian printing, and free shipping perks. Read more...
Behind the Scenes: How We Pack Your Greeting Cards
Behind the Scenes: How We Pack Your Greeting Cards
Ever wondered what goes into packing your card order at The Ugly Cat Studio? It’s more than just putting things in an envelope, we treat every order like a mini art... Read more...
"Brünnhilde" Photo by Adolph Edward Weidhaas
Brünnhilde the Valkyrie Cat: From 1936 Photograph to Fresh Fine‑Art Print
From 1936 to Today: The Story Behind the PhotoI found the original photograph while browsing the Library of Congress digital archives. It's a 1936 shot by Adolph Edward Weidhaas (1891-1971),... Read more...
Choosing Print Sizes for Small Apartments
Choosing Print Sizes for Small Apartments
Living small doesn’t mean decorating small—it just means being smart about scale. Here’s how I decide which print sizes work best when every square foot counts. 1. Measure First, Buy... Read more...
How We Package Your Art Prints
How We Package Your Art Prints
How We Package Your Art Prints by Catherine Hébert — The Ugly Cat Studio, Montréal A Quick Look Inside the Studio The photo above shows a freshly delivered mailing tube—just... Read more...
How to Care for Your Giclée Art Print
How to Care for Your Giclée Art Print
How to Care for Your Giclée Art Print 🖼️ You just got your new art print (yay!)—now what? Giclée prints are made with high-quality pigment inks and cotton paper, which... Read more...
Spotting Print Quality Issues: Red Flags Every Buyer Should Know
Spotting Print Quality Issues: Red Flags Every Buyer Should Know
I get a lot of questions from customers who've been burned by cheap art prints in the past. You know the story: you find something gorgeous online at a bargain... Read more...
Newsstand Dog on Epson Hot press paper
Fine Art Print Terms (Without the Snobbery!)
Understand fine art print terms like giclée, archival, rag paper & more—explained clearly and casually, no snobbery required. Read more...
Red vs. Grey: A Tale of Two North American Squirrels
Red vs. Grey: A Tale of Two North American Squirrels
Same Continent, Different Personalities Step outside almost anywhere in Canada or the northern United States and you’ll see a squirrel—maybe two—but look closer and you’ll notice they come in distinct... Read more...
Limited Editions vs. Open Editions: What’s the Difference?
Limited Editions vs. Open Editions: What’s the Difference?
If you've browsed the shop, you may have noticed some prints are marked "limited edition" while others aren’t. So what’s the actual difference—and why does it matter?Open EditionsOpen edition prints... Read more...
Why We Chose the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO‑1000 for In‑Studio Printing
Why We Chose the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO‑1000 for In‑Studio Printing
A quick back-storyFor years, every time I adjusted the colours on a painting, the only way to check the result on paper was to send the file to one of... Read more...
My Most Popular Prints This Year (So Far)
My Most Popular Prints This Year (So Far)
Every couple of months I brew a strong coffee, sit down with my trusty spreadsheet, and see which prints are winning your hearts (and your wall space). Below is the... Read more...
Archival Ink vs Dye-Based Ink: Why It Matters for Art Prints
Archival Ink vs Dye-Based Ink: Why It Matters for Art Prints
Pictured above: the ink tanks on our in house Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 printerWhy talk about ink at all?Most people pick a print based on the image and maybe the paper.... Read more...
Willie, General Patton's Bull Terrier - The Story Behind the Print
Willie, General Patton's Bull Terrier - The Story Behind the Print
I paint a lot of animals, but every once in a while a subject grabs me because of the story behind it. Willie was one of those.If you've seen photos... Read more...
My Streaming station in the Studio!
🎥 Going Live: "Draw With Me" Weekly Live Art Stream Every Thursday Evening 🖋️🐱
I'm trying something new, and a little bit scary (but mostly exciting): live streaming! Every Thursday evening 7pm Eastern, starting July 3, 2025. You can watch it on our site... Read more...
How We Choose Paper for Our Giclée Art Prints - Epson Hot Press and Hahnemühle
How We Choose Paper for Our Giclée Art Prints - Epson Hot Press and Hahnemühle
Choosing the right paper is crucial when producing giclée art prints. Low-quality stock feels flimsy in the hand and can't match the weight or texture that signals fine-art quality. After... Read more...
The Ugly Cat's Gift Ideas for Animal Lovers
The Ugly Cat's Gift Ideas for Animal Lovers
Picks for Cat lovers, Dog people, Bird watchers & Forest‑dwelling dreamers Whenever a friend needs a present for someone who can’t stop talking about their favourite animal, these are the... Read more...
The First Batch of Greeting Cards Is Here!
The First Batch of Greeting Cards Is Here!
I’m thrilled to share some news I’ve been working on for a while: I’m happy to share that I’ve turned a few of my paintings into greeting cards! It felt... Read more...
The Ugly Cat Studio now offering preframed prints!
The Ugly Cat Studio now offering preframed prints!
I have some exciting news to share—Ugly Cat Studio prints are now available pre-framed! For years, I’ve loved creating and sharing my art, and I know that finding the perfect... Read more...
US Trade Actions against Canada: What It Means for Our Customers
US Trade Actions against Canada: What It Means for Our Customers
We can confirm that orders to US and Canadian customers are tariff free, both for greeting cards shipped from our studio in Montreal, as well as prints and frames from our... Read more...