Sharktopia is the artistic endeavor of coffee-loving, Ocean artist, Caiti Rose!
Hi everyone! My name is Caiti. I'm a coffee-loving, happy vegan, Ocean artist with the goal of altering the misconceptions surrounding sharks and other Ocean life.
Born to Draw
Sharks and I go way back! I was born with Erb's Duchenne Palsy - nerve damage in the 5th and 6th vertebre (spine). This caused me to be unable to use my right arm/hand when I was born. Fortunately, when I turned one, my fingers moved for the first time. Part of my physical therapy as a child was to have someone help me hold a marker in my hand. Needless to say, the drawings of sharks showed up a few years later! When I say I've been drawing for as long as I can remember...I mean it! It might have just been part of my physical therapy, but I loved drawing the moment it was introduced to me. I'm glad my parents kept me in an endless supply of paper, markers, crayons, etc.! I still live with a damaged immune system (from birth) and will always have limited range of motion, but I don't let that stop me from chasing my dreams! Never give up - just keep swimming!
Creation
When I turned 30 (in 2014) everything seemed to 'click'. I saw the emotional connection my sharks have with the outside world. By October of 2014, after a deep conversation with my friend Katie, "Sharktopia" was born. Special thanks to Katie and her fam for supporting my 'art sharks'. <3
Awareness and Conservation
Through my art, I raise awareness about harsh topics such as: shark finning, plastic pollution, bycatch, overfishing, etc. I've provided 100+ FREE coloring pages on my site to help spread the awareness even further. Dive in, swim around, create a masterpiece of your own, and help the world see just how important sharks really are!
Q&A with Sharks4Kids
Want to read about my favorite shark, the creation process, and more? Head over to the full Q&A Session I had with Sharks4Kids! Click here to read more: https://www.sharks4kids.com/single-post/2019/04/10/Meet-Artist-and-Creator-of-Sharkopia-Caiti-Rose
Random fun facts
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I'm not 100% sure if I'm left or right handed due to how I was born. I could have been left handed since that comes naturally to me for most things, but I needed to use my right hand and arm once it began working. Therefore, I was taught to draw and write, right-handed. I'm (almost) 37 and it feels natural to write and draw with my right hand, but I can also draw left-handed if my right hand gets too tired. On a larger scale, such as painting a wall, I use my left-hand due to the limited mobility in my right arm. I suppose I'm just both left-handed and right-handed!
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If I hadn't been so fascinated with sharks as a little kid, I might have ended up as a Paleontologist. I love finding Crinoid fossils on the beach! They wash up constantly from Lake Michigan.
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I live in Racine, WI - pretty close to Lake Michigan. I love walking in the woods, basking in the trees, standing in the sand, walking along the beach, jumping the waves, etc. From the forests and hiking trails to the beaches and swimming spots... Wisconsin has plenty of variety!
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My love of sharks seems to have passed onto my little nephew. We share a love of popcorn and drawing. His favorite shark is the Hammerhead. My favorite happens to be the Basking shark. <3
DONATIONS!
Donations allow me to continue focusing on the non-profit side of what I do; offering so many free coloring pages and activities to help spread the message of conservation and awareness around the world! Head over to my DOWNLOADS page to check out all the freebies!
To read more about making a donation, please head over to my DONATE page! XO