Today we’d like to introduce you to Adriana Guarderas.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My name is Adriana, and I like to go by Adri. I grew up in Los Angeles and Quito, Ecuador. I moved to San Diego a little over five years ago. Since I was very little, I enjoyed creating and imagining (what kid doesn’t?!). To warn you, my artistic journey doesn’t feel totally linear, which I imagine is the case for most artists!
I always enjoyed creating as a young child and I grew up in a creative environment. I remember a moment when I was about 8 or 9 years old and I asked my grandmother, who is an incredible painter, to teach me how to draw more realistically. She said something like, “If I teach you this, you’ll never be able to draw like you do again.” I thought about it and declined her offer. Not sure what that says exactly, but I think it gives you a sense of my thinking around art-making and creating.
When I was in eighth grade, my parents encouraged me to apply to the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA), which is a tuition-free public high school on the Cal State LA campus. There was a two-part interview process and portfolio review. I didn’t get in for the freshman year class, but I auditioned the next year I got in! Each school day, the students would start with typical academic classes then, in the afternoons, we’d go to art class. Each day had a different art class available (of our choosing) so that we could explore different mediums. For example, Mondays would be ceramics, Tuesdays would be painting, Wednesdays would be darkroom photography, etc. It was a wonderful experience.
After high school, I attended Occidental College. I majored in Art History and Visual Arts with an emphasis in Studio Art. During this time, I went big with my artwork! I made large-scale sculptural work and large oil paintings. Some of the sculptural work included an almost 11-foot wire sculpture of a human frame and a colorful “sleep pod” on wheels that could fit one person sleeping. I also had the opportunity to learn printmaking which was really fun. Occidental College, at least when I attended, had a sister program with Caltech. At Caltech, I was able to attend their screen printing and silk painting classes.
After college, I shifted to making smaller artwork because I didn’t have access to a large studio space any longer. Although my mediums varied, I mostly made smaller-scale paintings, drawings, and screen printing. I started a t-shirt screen printing business and was able to sell my wares at Kidspace Children’s Museum during their bug fair; it was great! I made it a practice to draw as much as possible and explored making comics too.
I also enrolled in graphic design and digital illustration courses at Glendale Community College after Occidental. I was pretty rusty on Photoshop and Illustrator, so it was great to learn new skills and refine my skillset at the time. Later on, I enrolled in two classes at Art Center at Night, one in Illustration and the other in Collage. In one of those courses, I created an adult ABC book which was pretty cool at the time. I had the opportunity to take arts classes through the Armory Center for the Arts as well, which is a great arts non-profit.
I also explored animation on my own for fun! I made hand-drawn animations and especially enjoyed making claymations out of playdoh. The past couple of years, my artistic focus shifted to illustration and sewing. For illustrations, my favorite subject matter are animals, monster characters, and cartoony dragons. For sewing, I enjoy quilting, mending clothing, and making clothes.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Overall, I’ve been very fortunate and my road has been smooth. Most of my struggles, that I can see, have been around moments/periods of low self-confidence or getting into traps of comparing (and minimizing my success) in relation to other artists and creatives. For example, in college, my art professor asked me to become their artist’s assistant for a project. I was so wrapped up in the thoughts of potential failure and disappointment that I declined the opportunity. In retrospect, I realize that I should have taken their offer. The professor obviously knew my abilities and had the confidence that I could do the work!
I think that, over time, I’ve gotten more comfortable with acknowledging these low confidence feelings when they come up. I’ll ask myself how true the thought is and, if the opportunity excites me, move through the impostor syndrome in order to move forward. We’re all different and have our own artistic paths. We all deserve to feel worthy of success and happiness, myself included!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
If it’s not clear by now, I love playing around with a multitude of mediums! Creating feels like play and it’s fun to experiment with different forms of visual expression. The past few years, most of my work has been primarily centered around illustration, collage, and fiber arts. With regard to fiber arts, I love to sew and I’m learning how to mend clothing in creative ways.
The most recent project that I feel proud of is my mended sweater with a sun “drawing.” It was my second time trying out felting and I think that it came out pretty great! I think that the common thread throughout my more recent artwork is a sense of fun, playfulness, humor, and vibrant colors. I’m probably most known for drawing monsters.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I’m not sure if luck has played a part in my life and business, but this may be a matter of semantics. I had a privileged experience growing up. I grew up in a very supportive environment surrounded by creatives. Creativity and artistic expression were encouraged and fostered. Most of my formative years were spent around my mom, dad, and grandma. They’re all creative and loving. My dad is an artist/sculptor/woodworker, he taught me how to carve wood at an early age and we would spend quality time drawing and painting together. My mother is a writer and weaver. She taught me how to how to sew and encouraged me to write and illustrate stories. My grandmother is a painter and we would spend time together making art. She also didn’t mind (too much) when I made silly comics about her when I was a kid! Also, my family in Ecuador is full of artists! Painters, illustrators, sewists, fashion designers, printmakers, etc. It’s a joy to see all of the works of art that my family members and loved ones create; they’re amazing and inspiring!
I was fortunate to attend LACHSA and Occidental College. They provided me access to an excellent formal arts education. Privilege doesn’t discount the work that I put in to get where I am today, but having a supportive family certainly makes it easier. Unfortunate moments are absolutely gonna happen from time to time. When those moments happen, I think it’s important for me to: 1) Feel the feeling (the feeling isn’t “good” or “bad”) and
2) Reflect and feel gratitude for all of the joy that I’ve had in my life and how much joy I’ve had creating art.
I’m grateful for all of the love and support that I’ve received over the years from family, friends, and – even – strangers. Getting the opportunity to be interviewed by this magazine is a privilege that I am grateful for. Thank you for reaching out to me and for this interview; it’s been a pleasure!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adrianaguarderas/
Image Credits
Adriana Guarderas, William Sellent
