Art and community go hand-in-hand at a local scale, and Shai Davenport, known online as “Crafts By The Bunny,” has been showing her appreciation for Corpus Christi through her work. A winner in The Bend Magazine’s Local’s List for multimedia artist, Davenport’s artwork spans many mediums, from paintings, to sun-catchers, to poetry. Davenport strives to illustrate and convey her gratitude through her work and share it with the local art community.
“I’m starting to see I need to circle back and put myself in the mix a bit more too,” said Davenport. “Art, for me, is a way to put the gratitude I feel inside, on the outside. Gratitude for my family, friends, community, and the gifts of life entirely.”
There is a certain aspect of how Davenport does her work. Once she has a vision of a piece in illustration, it is locked in her head and will not be released until she finishes the artwork. During the time that Davenport is working on the piece, rarely are parts of the canvas ever erased, and she finds herself adding more details. When it comes to poetry, she is never at a loss for words and has many things to say that she can write down in stanzas.
“A little is a lot and I often leave whatever piece it is in the middle of the house,” said Davenport. “So if I have a couple of seconds, I can add something small to it and those couple of seconds really make all the difference.”
Davenport is also a stay-at-home mother of three children and recognizes the importance of family when it comes to balancing home life and working in her medium. Though she focuses part-time on coordinating community events through social media, it still helps that she can do those tasks remotely while still being in the presence of her family.
“Always, family comes first, and while I need to let something be ‘my thing,’ really I want to bring them with me to everything as I want to be there and support all of their passions and endeavors,” said Davenport. “It’s hard making time for other things sometimes, but I’m blessed and everything else is just bells and whistles. I’m so fortunate I get to ding the bells and sing with the whistles of creativity too.”
The art community in Corpus Christi is where Davenport truly sees collaboration and change. Art, to her, is a connective avenue in all forms, and according to Davenport, there are people within the local area that share the same thought. Expression is one of the key factors that underline exactly what people look at in consideration of art. When it comes to rejection, even after a hundred “no’s,” that is not what reflects the entirety of the creative community, and people are always open to connect with others regardless of skill, further reinstating how welcoming the community can be.
“I think I’m naturally someone who connects people and helps people in their bravery and confidence,” said Davenport. “I’m a bit of a natural hype girl and this world is full of bright unseen colors, let’s make this city that much more special by sharing it.”
Davenport’s husband, Kenneth Davenport, has been a long-time supporter of hers for as long as they have known each other. Kenneth understands the creativity and thought that Davenport puts in her art and has been there, knowing that behind the colors on the canvas is a story that means something close to her. When the two found out that Davenport was voted for the multimedia spot for the Local’s List, they were happy and it was a special moment for Davenport as an artist.
“When [the voting] came out, she couldn’t believe it, she was so thankful,” said Kenneth Davenport. “Leading up to her winning that category, she’s made it a point to get out there as much as she possibly can.”
As both an artist and advocate for the local art community, Davenport sees creativity as a means of bringing people together, whether it is through paintings, poems, or even encouraging others to take the first step in connecting with others. She hopes to remind people that everyone has value, and that contribution is something that can’t be taken for granted. In a city she has grown to love, Davenport continues to share the gratitude that keeps her flame going while helping others find the confidence to share their own voices.
