Pea Pod Travels | June 2026
Coco Ruby Ray Leeper is a multimedia artist who grew up in San Francisco and is now based in West Oakland. She works as a tattoo artist and with various other mediums such as painting, woodcarving, illustration, ceramics, sewing, and more. She is deeply inspired by her grandmother, who is a graphic designer, and by the natural world around her.
What was your inspiration for this towel?
I am constantly inspired by the natural world around me, the curl of growing tendrils, crawling bugs! I was asked to do this towel in early spring, one of my very favorite times of the year because you get to see all of the sprouts waking up from the winter and watching that initial growth is so special! The story behind the painting was having this fairy kind of shepherding and coaxing the pea pods and everything else that is growing up and into the world!
Your favorite place to swim or use a towel?
My favorite place to swim is definitely the river by my grandma's house in northern California. All of the rivers up there are spectacular and wonderful!
Any stuff that you are into that you think we should know about?
My biggest recommendation for fun stuff is just going outside, explore your neighborhood, support your friends, and build a community! Invite your friends over for a craft night! I’m also a very big fan of making fairy houses outside with my friend Saffron, backpacking around California and playing in my garden.
Any advice that drives or that you would give to your younger self?
One thing that I constantly have to remind myself of while making art is that art is supposed to be fun, and trying to enjoy the process more than relying on the outcome in order to find joy.
Who are 3 artists you love?
I am constantly inspired by my friends around me! Saffron Munkrus, Nancy Marshall, Maya Djiji, to name a few, and most importantly my grandmother, Judith Leeper, who worked as a graphic designer, banner maker and quilter.
What else should we know about you or your work?
Sometimes things feels so beautiful and sometimes they feel so painful, I make art to try to document every feeling but most importantly the sweet ones that are so hard to remember sometimes!
