This Chalkboard Artist Paints Scenes That Celebrate Ordinary Women + She Made a Mural For Our Studio

What’s better than a visit to the “Rachael Ray Show”? Getting to see Rach in person and celebrating an amazing female artist — that’s what!

“We were reading a lot about how underserved women are in the art world,” Rachael explains, “so we wanted to show off some inspired females — some artists that are up-and-coming — and give them a wall in our audience holding area.”

Our series is called “Walls By Women,” and it highlights the work of four female artists in New York City.

Related: Only 5% Of Museum Art Is Created By Women -- And Here's What We're Doing About It

The second featured artist in our ongoing series is the talented and very funny Caryn Cast, a chalkboard artist, muralist, painter and illustrator living in New York City.

Caryn describes her style as “a touch of realistic and maybe surreal.”

“I like to paint and add a lot of humor into my work,” she says. “Something that leaves somebody questioning, ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ They’re very quirky.”

For her featured work, Caryn wanted to show a happy scene — a family meal — so she painted a grandmother in the kitchen. “I wanted to give a little light to somebody that’s not super famous, but maybe famous in her own neighborhood,” she says. “I love using my art to celebrate women who might be overlooked otherwise.”

(Watch the video above to hear who Caryn says the woman in the painting is based on — which she didn’t even realize at first!)

The finished product also features a very special (and familiar) guest: Rach’s dog, Isaboo!

“I like to paint work that involves comfort and humor and animals doing people things,” Caryn explains. And who doesn’t love to imagine animals eating meatballs and drinking wine?!

“To see the art installation and fully appreciate it, we’d love you to come here in real life and check it out,” Rach says. So if you do join us this season (here's how to get free tickets to the show!), you’ll be able to enjoy some inspiring art during your visit, too!