Erica Katrak

I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of roaming around this adorable, quirky, characterful city. Thank you, neighbors, for making whimsical gardens and gates and signs. Thanks for supporting our trees. Thanks for restoring and preserving and building upon our history. I plan to keep doing my part to add whimsy too 🌞 #sanfranciscolife #exploresf #onlyinsf #sfwalks #ilovesanfrancisco

A new print, made on a lazy afternoon after a nap and a dream about a dinner party. “Sardines on a Plate” Sardines have been eaten by humans for thousands of years — the name comes from Sardinia, where they once swarmed in abundance. They travel in schools of millions, are rich in omega-3s, and pack more calcium per serving than a glass of milk. An underrated little fish, frankly. Three sardines on a plate, hand-drawn in black ink. A confident still life with black and white stripes. Minimalist, graphic, and faintly European. /listing/4504660084 #sardines #inkonpaper #sfartist #handdrawnart

Affordable restroom design idea? 😂 #unconventionalart #employeesmustwashhands #handlettered #arteverywhere #sfmade

I somehow have the flu in May (!), so I’ve just been on my computer most of the day. All my files are now organized and I got some soup by pressing buttons. I’m running out of things to do, so do you want to see one of my favorite interior design strategies? It’s art corners! Different heights + sculpture next to prints + texture and contrast + warm lighting + a place to rest = really good vibes. Got any good tv recs? #howtoart #artcollecting #artinteriors #makeitsculptural #arttips

Did you know that Monet did caricatures? Maybe this is sacrilege, but I think I like this work more than anything else he did 😆 Summary of my research: When he was fifteen, Claude Monet sold caricatures of local bigwigs and minor celebrities from a framing shop. He charged his customers 20 francs (~$230 today). The roughly 2,000 francs (~$23,000 today) from selling these caricatures enabled him to, against his father’s wishes, move to Paris and begin training as an artist. (Though he also lived with and received a pension from his wealthy aunt Marie-Jeanne Lecadre… further proof that great artists need space and support to thrive.) Caricatures also led him to impressionism! He met his mentor at the framing shop, who took him on his first jaunt painting en plein air. His body of work eventually led him to what he’s now famous for: impressionist paintings, though he later lamented in an interview that “If I had continued [with caricature], I would have been a millionaire”. #claudemonet #givethepeoplewhattheywant #theywanthumor #arthistory

Excerpts from “Color Problems: A Practical Manual for the Lay Student of Color” by American artist Emily Noyes Vanderpoel (1842–1939). She refers to these analyses as “the music of light”, which is just so poetic. #emilynoyesvanderpoel #musicoflight #coloranalysis #arthistory

Excited about this latest commission! Retro, gritty motel postcards for thriller author @r.johndingle ’s new book launch, featuring an ominous Peter 5:8 passage on the back. Unsettling roadside Americana vibes… I’m into it. These will be going out in book packages for “Before the Devil Knows”, his new crime novel set in rural Maine. If you’re into atmospheric thrillers with theology woven through the plot, check it out!

Random idea I had... made it a reality on a whim 😆 Need something to cart around your sketchy stuff? Here’s a tote for your tools. A satchel for your supplies. A carryall for your craft. A vessel for your ventures. Whatever you’re making, make sure it looks suspicious getting there. Printed on both sides with water-based ink on medium heavy cotton canvas (9 oz/yd² or 305 g/m²). The bag is 100% certified organic natural cotton, grown without the use of pesticides, herbicides, or other chemical fertilizers. This cotton is also unprocessed, which results in a light beige color with small black flecks throughout the fabric. It’s bringing me joy. /listing/4495838148 #sketchystuff #artbag #artistlife #suspicious #studiostorage

More from my self-directed art history studies... a the park artist. Roberto Burle Marx, a landscape architect, but also much more. He wove together environmental design, botanical design, graphic design, tapestry, and folk art. One of his gardens is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Copacabana Promenade, probably his most famous project, is an icon of Rio de Janeiro. It’s about 2.5 miles of mosaic boardwalk, made with Portuguese stones and native trees and plants. Seen from above, the promenade looks like a black and white abstract painting. He also designed fabrics, jewelry, and stage sets, and was a staunch advocate for protecting Brazil’s rainforests. He has over 50 plants named after him! I always admire a polymath. #robertoburlemarx #polymath #environmentaldesign #gardensareart

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Surprising... my most popular print so far this year is this quick and expressive little shrimp drawing 😆 I was perusing Picasso’s simple animal sketches and thought I’d explore my own style of loose, figurative sketches... somewhere in-between the abstract ink work and the more detailed drawings I’ve made. Some trial and error and more than a few discarded drawings later, this shrimp was the first one that felt right. It’s just a shrimp doing shrimp things, properly labeled in case there was any confusion. /listing/4391494555 Thanks to @jam_borg for the sweet photo capture! #handdrawnart #properlylabeled #shrimpart #shramp

Good morning! Would you like an update on my little quest to improve upon a neglected piece of American life... the mandatory and yet perennially ugly “employees must wash hands” sign? Yes? Well, we’re officially in 42 restrooms and kitchens across 18 states and 2 countries! Because while Singapore doesn’t have this requirement, an American over there thinks it’s funny. I’ve documented at least 5 in San Francisco, but there might be up to 10? The quest continues. This past week, I shipped two off to Virginia and added this new series to the shop. Do me a favor... if you ever see my work hanging, send me a pic! And if you know anyone designing a restaurant, tell em about my work 😜 #employeesmustwashhands #unconventionalart #arteverywhere #handdrawnsigns #sfmade