Conversations with the Inspiring Adeana Berry

Today we’d like to introduce you to Adeana Berry.

Adeana, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Since growing up, inevitably I resorted to coloring and painting— anything creative. Playing with dolls never seemed to keep my interest for more than an hour. I credit my appreciation and love for art at such an early age to my Aunt. She was an art teacher and would teach me about color, shapes, and lines at every chance. One of my fondest memories from her lessons were sitting at her kitchen table practicing drawing faces repeatedly. The multiple shapes that makeup noses, the distance between eyes and their position on the face in relation to the ears, and even the fact that skin tone is made up so many colors besides brown or tan. She was patient enough to teach me perspective and proportion when I was four and five years old and it has remained with me to this day.

Throughout grade school, I attended gifted programs and art camps for visual arts during the summer. By the time I was in high school, I went on to participate and completed the AP Art program. That consisted of a lot of self-driven exploration and creating a journal of an inspirational artist. My focus was portraiture, of course, and I went on to study the works of Andy Warhol, Matisse, and Kara Walker to name a few. When the question of what I wanted to be and where I’d like to go to college came up there was only one answer for me; SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design.).

I made the strategic decision to follow a trend and go into graphic design, thanks mostly to MySpace.com and my intrigue with web design. I was also slightly fearful that I wouldn’t like painting as a college major. Looking back on it I have no regrets. Since graduating with honors from SCAD, I’ve balanced between the worlds of design and art. Recently focusing and taking my art more seriously in the last year. Many of my experiences and exploration in multiple creative fields make up my aesthetic. My art is a union of my love for portraiture and degree in graphic design.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Smooth road? What’s that? Seriously, I’ve taught myself it’s not about the destination but about the journey and sometimes bumpy roads make for a good laugh or a hard lesson worth learning. My biggest piece of advice to other women pursuing art and creative fields would be to know that the road gets smoother with consistency. Look at your efforts like a sequence. Multiple steps make up are 1 sequence and your steps can be anything and as many as you need. My brief example would be: step 1 I complete a painting, step 2 take a photo, step 3 post to Instagram, and repeat. With consistency, I’ve created a consistent catalog of my works. People can view those works and identify my style and even growth with the given consistent evidence. It becomes fun after you establish your skill/talent with people and then raising the bar with every time you share something new. I enjoy surprising others and even myself.

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I’m a creative who focuses on acrylic portrait painting and I’m a graphic designer by degree. Currently, I focus on painting portraits of celebrities that transform under black light due to my use of neon acrylic paint and knowledge of color theory. In addition to my personal creations, I also paint commission pieces for gifts, holiday, memorials, weddings, etc. On a special occasion, I host painting and sips and participate in live painting at paid events. As an artist, I’m most proud of the reaction of people when they view, purchase, or receive my works. What sets me apart is that I’m not solely focused on making a profit, granted I know my worth, but focused the feeling my art creates within people.

It would be great to hear about any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve used and would recommend to others.
I do believe we’re conditioned to be attracted to media coverage of challenges and or negative incidents but my mindset is of one of abundance rather scarcity. In general, the perspective of the collective is a very strong and powerful tool. There are infinite opportunities available that we as collective of women should encourage one another, share, and uplift so that these opportunities are broadcasted and made more aware to other women alike. No particular opportunity comes to mind, but positive attitudes and courage are key ceasings many of these opportunities that may be hiding or not as well known.

Contact Info:

• Website: adeanaberry.com
• Email: aberry@adeanaberry.com
• Instagram: uhdeanuh

Image Credit:
Adeana Berry

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