Today we’d like to introduce you to Cassie Dunbar.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember. I remember drawing so many cartoons as a kid. My mind was blown when my Dad showed me Ed Roth’s Rat Fink and all his monsters, and a cousin who had cable showed me the Ren & Stimpy show. There was just so much weird wrapped up into both of those things that I couldn’t help but be drawn in. That was when I would go around telling everyone that I wanted to be an animator and a family friend would always say animation is dead. So I ended up going to school first for fine arts painting and then switched and got my degree in graphic design. Somehow through some twists and turns, I still managed to circle back to my early days of cartoons.
Please tell us about your art.
I make illustrations of cartoons to express feelings. It seems to be a little more digestible through something light and fluffy like a cartoon. With it being something simple I hope the viewer takes away a more relatable experience of something complex that they have maybe felt at one time or another…like oh man, that exactly how I felt during blah blah blah. They are usually translated through floating heads or bodies for two reasons. First, These different characters I feel like they represent all the masks that we as people wear. The characters are mostly of animals because I feel like people, myself included, like to relate to animals to show different characteristics of our personalities or feels. Second I don’t like backgrounds.
As an artist, how do you define success and what quality or characteristic do you feel is essential to success as an artist?
Success is to each their own, just like everyone’s artistic expression. Mine is to be able to support myself physically and mentally. Since art is a very subjective thing, I feel like you just need to find that group that appreciates what you’re putting out into the world.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
People can mostly see my work through Instagram (@dunbarbahn). As for support, reaching out to me personally for commissions and going and purchasing a piece (shirt, sticker, etc.) with companies I’ve worked with. Businesses like Rolling Death Maui (@rollingdeathmaui), Cardiff’s local Iron Cross Surfboards (@ironcrosssurfboards), Pin & Tonic (@pinandtonic.pins), Pinebox (@pinebox.co), and friends that are looking for something a little different to represent their own personal endeavors. All are super rad small businesses, just to name a few, that I am stoked to have worked with. I also intend to create something of my own this year so keep your eyes peeled!
Contact Info:
- Email: css.dunbar@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/dunbarbahn
DESERT.YETI 
Image Credit:
Cassie Dunbar, Carly Tracy-Metz
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