Today we’d like to introduce you to Adela Pons.
Hi Adela, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was born and raised in Venezuela, and since I was very little, I knew I wanted to be an artist. I was always drawing on anything and everything and I was not interested in much else. My mom always asked me to try things, and I did. I tried ballet, karate, flamenco dancing, tennis, soccer, and music… but nothing made me feel the way drawing and painting did. Every Saturday I had drawing and painting classes and it was my favorite time of the week. When I finished high school, I knew I wanted to major in something art-related, but I wasn’t sure what, so I attended Architecture classes every morning at one college and Graphic Design classes in the afternoon at another college. Despite being busy ALL THE TIME, I loved it, and it helped me realize Graphic Design was the right path for me, so I dropped out of Architecture School and finished my Bachelor’s in Graphic Design.
I worked as a freelance designer for a while but still felt like I wanted to develop my career further, so I decided to join a program called Education USA, that was run by the US Consulate in my hometown. They helped me explore what opportunities I had for a master’s degree in the US, as well as any scholarship opportunities, and that’s how I ended up at SCAD! I moved to Atlanta back in 2014, and with lots of hard work and help from my dear professors and classmates, I got my Master’s degree in Illustration in 2016. After that, I worked as a contractor designer at Carter’s. That same year I got a children’s book series deal with Peachtree Publishing Company, where later on I started working as a graphic designer for children’s books, and in 2018 I became their Art Director. The dream!
During this time, I worked on many passion projects—murals, prints, portfolio reviews, lectures, branding, screen printing, gallery shows, you name it! And I still wanted to learn and grow more. So earlier this year, I left my job at Peachtree to work for Carter’s again, this time as a full-time print designer, where I have the very fun job of creating prints for children’s clothing! Besides this, I keep my passion projects going (that sounds better than “freelancing” to me). I’ve been doing a lot of prints and gallery shows that keep my artist’s heart happy. Doing both a full-time job and side projects is what brings me balance, I couldn’t do one without the other.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
HAHAHA, NO! It’s been messy and crazy. Being an immigrant, I’ve had to deal with work visas, renewals, permits, and any kind of paperwork you can think of. And doing this while you have no family around to help you or even fully understand what you’re going through is really hard. Thank god for WhatsApp and a mom that is always there to listen!
I think as artists, we deal with a lot of uncertainty in many areas of our lives. It’s hard to find jobs in our field that bring financial stability while also allow us room to grow and explore as individuals, and when you add the fact that you have to deal with visa sponsorships and all that paperwork, it becomes almost impossible. But thankfully, it is possible. I’m here because it is.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I have different areas I feel the need to constantly create for:
The children’s market, whether that’s books, clothing, or toys. I feel very connected with my inner child and working on this area keeps feeding the little girl in me. It’s also extremely rewarding to see your work is in the hands of a kid, it makes you a little part of their development and that is absolutely priceless.
The other area is prints. I love being able to convey an entire message in a single image. It’s efficient. It allows me to explore different printing techniques as well while not having to commit to the technique for ages. I can try something different for each project.
And lastly, gallery work. This one feels similar to prints, with the exception that it’s not meant to be reproducible. I create one single piece and that’s it, when it’s sold it’s gone forever. Letting it go is a bittersweet feeling, it’s a product of your hard work, love, and passion, that is no longer yours, but at the same time, it’s a piece that now means something else for a new individual, and that is also beautiful.
I’m very proud of my books, the ones I illustrated and the ones I designed. I’m proud of my prints and art pieces being out in the world, and I’m sure I’ll be proud of my children’s clothes once they’re out there too. But I’m mostly proud of allowing myself to explore what it is that I want to create and how I want to do it.
From digital illustrations to acrylic paintings, I let the surface determine my approach to what I want to create. Being resourceful is an important part of my life as an immigrant, inevitably it became part of my artwork as well. My work is an intricate and unique mix of my experiences in life, evolving and transforming as my life does.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
Absolutely! The biggest thing I’ve learned during this crisis is to “count my blessings” (whether they’re actual blessings or a simple product of hard work). Even when things are not going great, there’s still at the very list a handful of things to be grateful for. Mentally counting them every morning gives you the strength and the hope to tackle whatever you’re going through. I also learned I love being at home (another blessing I count every morning). The peace of being in my safe space allows my creative juices to flow.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.adelapons.com
- Instagram: @adela_pons
- Twitter: @adelapons
Image Credits
For my headshot: Photo Credit: Latrece Ragsdale
