WE LOVE bringing strains to life visually by partnering with artists. For Snake’s Cake s1, we put out a call for artists who would be interested and Jesse Racusen answered the call. We liked his surreal style and connected him with our cultivation team to hear first hand what makes Snake’s Cake s1 special. And while she doesn't have a loud aroma or flavor profile, to smoke or dab her is to know why she’s so special. It’s one of those smokes that hits you just right. We knew we wanted the strain artwork to reflect that potency, as well as her bag appeal: green buds with purple hits and trichomes a plenty.
Armed with those details, Jesse created a sparkly trichome-rich landscape built for a gigantic snake. The artwork is ssssssspecial to say the least. We chatted with Jesse about the strain art project and what it was like working with cannabis.
Nature’s Heritage: Why did you want to work in cannabis and with the NH brand?
Jesse Racusen: To put it simply: for me, cannabis has been something that I’ve consumed to find inner peace. It's had the power to enhance my experience with things that I already love - like creating art or listening to music. I believe that when taken responsibly, it can be one of the most effective ways to relieve stress and improve sleep.
The cannabis industry is very exciting to work within because it’s still so new. It’s really cool to be able to lend my creative talents to an industry that’s on the forefront of widespread acceptance. Since Nature’s Heritage was already a brand name that I was familiar with, I knew as soon as I saw your Call for Artists post that I’d be the perfect fit. I was determined to bring my original vision to a product (cannabis) that I had already drawn so much inspiration from.
NH: How was this Snake’s Cake S1 project unique to your other work?
Jesse: This project was a unique challenge: creating visuals to convey the specific profile of the Snake’s Cake S1 strain. The process was refreshingly open-ended, which provided a perfect playground to draw up a concept that was 100% my own. With the final illustration, I really relished taking my time in refining all of the tiny details and leaning more heavily into surrealism than I have in the past.
NH: What was the most fun part of creating the Snake’s Cake strain experience?
Jesse: My favorite part of the project was collaborating with the Nature’s Heritage team during the initial research phase. It was fascinating to talk with the cultivators about the Snake’s Cake S1 profile. Using some of that information, I then gathered tons of reference material to help influence the style and subject matter of the piece. I assembled a mood board which included crystal illustrations by Möbius, photos of snake scales, cakes, and microscopic photos of trichomes. This visual reference served as a valuable style map which informed my artwork throughout each stage.
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
My name is Jesse Racusen. I’m an artist, illustrator and designer with a passion for exploring new styles and subject matter while developing my craft. Born and raised in Boston, I’m currently living in and working out of Somerville. While I’ve painted many acrylic portraits, sports scenes, and digital paintings, I’m always looking to tackle any type of creative project and expand my breadth of expertise.
Website: jesseracusen.com
Instagram: @jrac7
