Meet Adriana Lemus | Artist & Instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Adriana Lemus and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Adriana, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?

I’ve been creating art since I was 2 years old. I don’t know any other way of living life. I love all types of art mediums but for the past 5 years, I’ve been focusing on ceramics. I had an AMAZING ceramics teacher in high school and I wanted to be her, I wanted to teach art to and to facilitate the creativity in others.

I’ve been teaching art to children and adults for about 7 years now and I love it. Up until 2020, I always had another job to supplement my art practice. Once the pandemic hit, I no longer had a job as a Wine Bar Manager and I decided to go full time as an artist.

I figured, I might as well put as much effort into my own hopes and dreams as I was putting into building someone else’s. What I became aware of was that every job I ever had prepared me for starting a business of my own. It’s crazy to look back on that and realize that this is the path I am meant to be on.

Currently, I sell my artwork on my website and sometimes at local Makers Markets. I teach beginning & intermediate pottery workshops, with my partner Chad Franco of Night Owl Pottery. Workshops are provided at various venues located from Paso Robles to Santa Barbara, California. I also teach private lessons in my small backyard studio and create custom pottery for hotels, restaurants, wineries, and people’s homes. I love having my own business. Along with continuing to grow my business, I also want to eventually have a gallery/studio space.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

My art is inspired by the female figure. My father is also an artist and creates amazing drawings of the female figure as well. His artwork has always been an inspiration to me.

For the past 5 years, I’ve be inspired by this idea of “selfies”. My closest friends would send each other selfies (photos of themselves) either nude or partially nude, whenever they felt beautiful. I would screen shot the images because I thought they’d be good source material for paintings. Shortly after, I started painting figures on ceramics and my art has evolved from that. This project is meant to celebrate women’s bodies and to illustrate that each and EVERY body is beautiful. My vision is that every woman will come to appreciate and love her own body.

What sets my art apart from other pottery is that my practice has become somewhat collaborative and I also feel like my pottery truly connects with the soul. This is done through the sense tactile touch or contact with the beauty of sculptured relief of the human form, texture, design and color. My passion and drive are to understand what connection and affect my art has on the Soul of the observer.

I continue to receive daily requests from women to draw or paint their “Selfies”. My hope is that we move away from an unrealistic media ideal of women’s bodies and move toward embracing the body that we have been blessed with.

It hasn’t been easy to get where I am today professionally. I am always overcoming challenges that come my way. What keeps me going is that I am driven. I am driven to create, to succeed, and to make a living doing what I love. I am continually thinking of new ideas and new projects.

A challenge as well a joy within my medium of ceramics is that it is truly a labor of love. The amount of time and energy that goes into creating one piece is all part of the process. I work with porcelain and half of my pieces break somewhere along the process, this is the reason I sometimes I create two of something from the start.

I consider my art to be fine art painting on ceramics. I’ve had years and years of schooling to get me to where I’m at today.

Pricing my work can at times feel difficult. Most of my pieces range anywhere from $75-$350. That may sound steep for “pottery”, however it is more than a craft, it is functional art. It is the awesome interactive experience of being able to hold art in your hand and drink from it.

I’ve learned that everything doesn’t have to go as planned. I truly believe in the law of attraction and that we can have whatever it is we want in life. One of the most important aspects in the law of attraction, is patience. We have to let the universe do its work. It may take seconds, days, or years but I have to remind myself to trust. To trust in life’s flow, trust in my art, my talent, my creativity, and trust in those around me.

Ceramics has been around for thousands of years. The fact that people still make pottery is amazing to me. There is so much to learn and share when it comes to this medium of artwork. If cared for properly, pottery is a purchase you make that can last for hundreds of years. When you buy handmade pottery, you hold a small piece of the artist, the energy of the artist is infused into their art.

If you know someone who creates art or has a small business creating art, support them in any way you can. Words of encouragement can go a LONG way with artists, believe me. We need our friends, family, and community.   A world without art is unimaginable.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for my parents. It almost brings me to tears to think about everything that they’ve done for me since the moment I was born. I grew up with an artist father and he always provided me with everything and anything I needed to be creative.
When I moved back after graduating from UC Berkeley, my dad had a studio built in our backyard. I’ve been using the studio for the past 5 years and so much art has been created in that little sanctuary.

I believe that every child is born with the ability to be creative. It is the parent’s job and the job of teachers to nurture these talents. My family members and friends have always supported me in my life as an artist. They’ve attended countless art shows, makers markets, purchased my artwork, and always provide words of encouragement.

Achieving your dreams takes more than just the individual, you need the support from family and friends along the way. There are days where I feel like giving up, but I know I have a support system that believes in me. I am eternally grateful for the support I’ve had and continue to have. I will always do my best to provide this same encouragement to friends, small business owners, and other artists around me.

Website: http://www.adriananicolelemus.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adri.ana.lemus.ceramics/ AND https://www.instagram.com/night.owl.pottery/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adrianalemusceramics

Image Credits
Brandi Lopez Photography Dylan Grant Photography Alexandra Wallace Photography