Meet Artevaggio’s Featured Artist: Janine Adamo

When did you first realize you were an artist?
That is an interesting question because I never saw myself as an “artist” until recently. I have always been creative and in High School I was in AP art. I knew I wanted to go to art college in the 10th grade, I loved drawing, painting and creating. But oddly enough I never saw myself as an artist. I was creative and talented but not an artist. That title to me was for the great ones like Picasso and Michelangelo and so forth, the people you learned about in art history. That title went to the people who made history. They were the select few who made it into the fine galleries. I was a graphic designer who was creative and enjoyed to paint. So I would have to say about a year ago I realized I was an artist. Funny now that I think about it, how I put that word on such a high pedestal.

Could you tell us about your work?
My work is very intuitive. When I start painting I have no idea what the final is going to be. I start by making marks and then covering them with more marks and so on. After a while I start seeing shapes and images in the marks and I go from there. Sometimes I have a desire to paint something in particular but I still start with my mark making and layers. I believe those layers are what makes my pieces have so much depth. My work always seems to tell a story about what is going on in my life at the time or showing me what I need to do. It’s my subconscious talking to my conscious mind. That bird/phoenix that you see in just about all of my paintings represents me. Then there is the texture aspect to most of my pieces. I love texture and adding it to my pieces. I love the aspect of texture that makes you want to touch it. Makes you inspect it up close and then you step back and see how it works as a whole.

What artists have influenced your work?
There are artists that I admire like Alexandra Hunter who does amazing abstract paintings, something I would love to do. I love her colors and textures. Jeanne Bassette, especially her figures and she is also amazing with color. Then there is Flora Bowley, who I took an on-line painting course from September of 2013 and her course changed the way I paint, how I look at painting and she is the reason why I think of myself as an artist now. Within that course I met many amazing artists who also influence me.

What is your creative inspiration?
I enjoy going to the botanical gardens here in Atlanta and seeing the variety in color and texture with in nature. This may seem different but I use Facebook as inspiration. Most of my friends on FB are artists, we all post what we are working on at the moment, in progress and finished pieces. So I get to see many different styles of art on a daily basis. We comment and have conversations about the art. I also enjoy going to galleries, especially the co-ops, which are usually filled with local talent and displayed are lots of different styles and mediums.

What other interests do you have besides creating art?
Spending time with my two daughters, reading, being out in nature, learning new things, spending time with friends and traveling.

What advice would you give to a new artist?
Never stop learning. Continue your education, take on-line courses or local classes. Read about other artists and see how they work, what mediums they use and how they use them. I love taking on-line courses, you work at your own pace and it makes you think outside of what you do. You may never use it again or you may incorporate that in your work. It expands your mind, your creativity and keeps those juices flowing.

Could you give some advice about the business side of being an artist?
I wish I could, I am pretty new at this. I am trying to get my work in front of as many people as I can.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years from now?
Painting, creating, teaching and still loving it.

CLICK HERE to go to Janine’s personal website.