Rabbit Catrina herself!
Hi everyone, Corey here!
You may remember that last spring we began looking for a local artist to design a limited edition camp mug that would go on sale in our cafes and online. Our goal for this project was to extend a paid opportunity to a local artist as well as to benefit a local organization that directly supports BIPOC folks.
Last summer, we partnered with Sunset Youth Services to extend this opportunity to Rabbit Catrina, an illustrator in San Francisco who works with Sunset Youth Services. After completing the design process & awaiting their arrival, her mugs are here and waiting to be filled with your coffee!
Rabbit Catrina aka "RC" was born and raised in San Francisco. Her art embraces the beauty in the darkness. She's inspired by Tim Burton and she loves flowers. RC works as an illustrator at Upstar Records, a project of Sunset Youth Services, and is currently writing and illustrating a story about the struggles and misconceptions related to depression and anxiety. You can reach her for art inquiries or more ways to support her in the future at rabbitcatrinaart@gmail.com.
Rabbit Catrina has decided to send 10% of sales to California Coalition for Women Prisoners (CCWP). CCWP monitors and challenges the abusive conditions inside California women’s prisons, fights for the release of women and trans prisoners and supports women and trans people in their process of re-entering the community.
Special thank you to Wendy Baker at Sunset Youth Services for helping us coordinate this launch! Read on to learn more about Rabbit Catrina.
Corey Turner: How did you get involved with Sunset Youth Services?
Rabbit Catrina: I learned about Sunset Youth Services through a friend a few years ago, and during the pandemic, I started working with Upstar Records doing digital drawing and animation. I come to Sunset Youth Services because of the people. People are nice to me. They care about me and they actually listen to me. They’re always available to listen.
How long have you been drawing?
I’ve loved drawing since as far back as I can remember. It’s one thing I am always comfortable doing. I feel like I can express myself in illustrations more easily than I can with words.
What do you hope to build with your art?
I hope to get better and become a professional art and animator someday. I'd like to learn how to sculp too.
What would you be doing if you weren’t making art?
I'm not sure exactly what else I'd do because I've been drawing my whole life, for as long as I can remember. Perhaps I would have learned how to bake desserts. Baking always seemed to interest me.
What has it been like growing up as an artist in San Francisco?
It’s been pretty normal, up until I got the opportunity to make the mug for Andytown. I was so happy and relieved that the people from Andytown liked what I sketched. (I've never been very confident with my art) I also wanted to thank Sunset Youth Services for supporting me while I was stressing myself out while making my art. I can't thank them enough.
What do you most like to draw and why?
I really like skeletons and flowers. It represents my spooky side. It may seem morbid but it’s also natural. We all have skeletons! In my culture, death is not the end, it’s only the beginning. In history, during the plagues that killed lots of people, cathedrals would be covered in skeletons, which showed public display of our mortality. It’s not sugar coating the idea of death. It’s accepting and comforting.
Do you typically plan what you're going to work on or like to figure it out in the moment? What does that process look like for you?
It just happens naturally. Ideas and creativity just come to me, sometimes because I've read something or seen something inspiring. I look at what other artists are doing. I don’t compare myself to any other artists, because when you start comparing yourself to others' success, you’ll start feeling bad about yourself. You’ll start to spiral downward. I’ve learned to be happy with what I have. When I see other artists draw, I get inspired and give more effort to my work. I want to work harder to be better. I’m not going to be self-loathing, I’m just embracing my own style. I won’t pretend to be someone else or have someone’s style. You’ll figure out your own style at some point, and it’s rewarding when you do.
Thanks for reading! Click below to check out the mug.
