International Niners superfan vows to sketch team every day until Super Bowl
SAN FRANCISCO - A 49ers fan from overseas is gaining the attention of the 49ers Faithful with her daily drawings about the team after vowing to sketch daily until the team gets to the Super Bowl.
From the iconic Golden Gate Bridge to "Bot Purdy" drawings, the creative imagination of Rita Carvalho scores big on Instagram. She committed to drawing the team daily at the start of the season. Last season she drew former 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo until he was traded.
"This regular season had so much information," she said. "I think it was a lot easier than I thought it would be."
Carvalho pokes fun at other teams after a win or at NFL analysts who are critical of current quarterback Brock Purdy.
East Bay man completes quest to visit every NFL stadium in US
As the 49ers' quest for a 6th Super Bowl continues, an East Bay man recently completed his quest to visit all NFL stadiums.
"I think that people need to take a step back and stop comparing him," she said. "Look at the tape and look at the records he broke in the regular season and just acknowledge the great QB that he is."
Carvalho draws on pop culture references, movies and more. Her drawings always feature the players, but when Kyle Juszczyk's wife, Kristin Juszczyk, went viral once Taylor Swift was spotted in one of her handmade clothing creations, Carvalho couldn't pass up the opportunity to honor Kristin’s talent.
"She's so talented and I always love to watch her videos of what she's going to do next," she said. "I have a fashion design degree and watching her do her thing is amazing. She actually reposted it on her story and it totally made my day because I wasn't expecting it. It was so awesome."
Along the way, Carvalho said her talents have turned into collaborations with companies like Gold Bar Whiskey. She sketched art for the limited-edition Joe Montana bottle.
"It was amazing being a part of that and just knowing that Joe Montana was holding the bottle that I drew... I was like OK, that's almost as good as meeting him," she said.
She’s also partnered with Uma Casa, a Portuguese restaurant in San Francisco, to make a special red and gold cocktail.
"If you do go to Uma Casa and order a cocktail, you get a print by me for free," she added.
NFC Championship Sunday will mark 141 days of drawings. Her Instagram page is a colorful reminder of the team's journey this season and proof that with passion and creativity, people will notice and get excited for her next drawing to drop.
"I just want to bring a little joy and art to people's lives," Carvalho said.
You can find more drawings and merchandise on Carvalho’s Instagram page.