“She’s an illustrator!” declares Jeline Catt at one of Heima’s Life is a Party series. Ten seconds into wolfing down what was left of Hogsmith’s truffle oil popcorn, Jamie, the younger Catt, manages an awkward grin in response to her sister’s sudden PR burst. Cue the usual exchange of cards and the pleasantries that followed soon after, the Catt siblings fled the scene.The following week, Jamie Catt (or @jamiecatt to all ye netizens) floods Instagram with the most elaborate watercolor designs. Top shots and paintbrushes have never looked so cute—no wonder her older sister was excited. Today, Jamie has an army of supporters both online and off as she she recently exhibited at “The Block Party x Type Kita and Woman, Create.”
“I’m so stoked to receive invitations to be a part of these events. I remember submitting several pieces for exhibits and they were all turned down,” muses Jamie. When her artworks aren’t being exhibited, little Catt has let it out of the bag that she’s in the middle of expanding her pieces from print and paper to different types of products.
What compelled you to illustrate? Were you always immersed in the arts growing up?
Funny enough, I wasn’t always artistic. Sure, I’ve always considered myself creative, but I never had the skill nor talent to paint or so help me, draw something.
So how did illustrating come about?
My childhood dream was to become a marine biologist—a far cry from the path that I’ve carved for myself. I guess the change of plans allowed me to dive into a more creative path. Since I didn’t exactly have the choice to study marine biology, I immersed myself in the arts by attending Valerie Chua’s watercolor workshop. That’s where I learned the basics of painting. I guess what got me into illustrating was life itself. I turned to creating art during one of my lowest points in life and poured my frustrations into something different.
Would you say you’re more keen towards analog or digital when it comes to your art?
Analog will always have a special place compared to digital. Mainly because I have yet to fully practice the latter even though I’ve been wanting to for quite some time now. There’s just something about feeling every stroke of the brush on a canvas and reading from an actual book compared to an e-book; to feel the paper between your fingers as you anticipate what’s coming next? It’s so raw and natural.
What’s in store for you this year?
A couple of creatives are asking me to collaborate and perhaps put up a watercolor workshop for events, which I’m definitely not ready for. As much as I love sharing and giving tips, I can’t imagine myself teaching at such a young age. Right now I’m focusing on collaborating with lovely brands and lovelier individuals.
