Artist Profile: Adjoa J. Burrowes

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Artist: Adjoa J. Burrowes
Location: Herndon, Virginia

Website & Blog:
Adjoa Burrowes
Making Art Touching Lives

Caterpillar

How do you describe your work, Adjoa?
My children’s book illustration is created with mixed media cut paper collage that incorporates brilliant painted papers that evoke the joy and wonder of childhood.

What is your creative process like?
My studio has to be organized and clean before I start working. It’s hard for me to work with a lot of clutter. I need to be able to concentrate fully, so I work alone. In the early stages of working on something, I have no music. In later stages I will play something soothing or if I need to speed things up a bit, I’ll play some lively jazz or R&B. It all depends on my mood.

Crown

My process requires a lot of advance planning. I start off initially with pencil and paper and create quick gesture drawings and thumbnail sketches. I often draw from models or use photos I take for reference. Using the words of a story as my guide, I develop my compositions. From the gesture drawings I start to build more detail. I construct a book dummy to get a better idea of how the pictures fit together with the words of a story and make sure the sequence makes sense. After my final compositions are finalized, I reduce my detailed drawings down to simple line drawings. From these line drawings I trace all the shapes in the picture that will eventually need to be cut out. I will often label pieces to keep them organized. Depending on how detailed a composition is, there may many many shapes to cut out. The best part for me is the paint work. I use different mediums, sometimes watercolor, acrylic or concentrated dyes to get rich color and pay a lot of attention to texture.

What kind of training did you have which helped you achieve your current level of artistry?
I received formal art training in college. My major was printmaking where process was very important. I had a small business right out of college making soft sculpted dolls from fabric. I sewed each strand of hair on by hand and appliqued the dresses from felt. I think this tedious work prepared me for my later collage work. I worked for many years as a graphic designer in several different industries, from Campbell Soup Company to Mattel Toys. One of my favorite jobs was working as a consumer product designer for Disney and Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey circus. I was thrilled to hold in my hand one day, after numerous revisions and adjustments at the factory, a plush clown doll I designed from head to toe. I’ve always had a dual career as a designer and fine artist and illustrator.

Fall Leaves

Is there a tool or material that you can’t imagine living without?
Though I am a very flexible person, I think I would have a hard time without a computer.

What inspires you to create?
I’m inspired by the beauty of the natural world. Each season holds endless intrigue for me — from the carnival of colors in fall to the detailed line work found on the wings of a butterfly.

I’m also inspired by language and how people express feelings and emotions and the duality and contradictions of language. Creating in collage fascinates me because of the constructing and deconstructing elements. The process of taking pieces and reforming and redefining their position in relations to others motivates me. In life, we re-make ourselves all the time.

Kisses to the Sun

What inspires you to keep going when the work gets frustrating or tough?
I have a very strong spirit. I try to concentrate on my vision and stay true to it.

What is your best piece of advice for those who would like to rise in their level of artistry?
I think it’s important to stay focused and to establish clear goals for yourself. I also think one must respect and honor their gift. One way is by equipping oneself fully to perform. This may mean getting the tools needed to work – both physical tools and mental tools such as acquiring the training needed.

Adjoa at work

What takes up the majority of your time besides your art?
Raising my children and my work as a teaching artist.

What’s your favorite non-art activity?
My hobby is swimming. Water soothes and relaxes me. My dream is to go snorkeling or scuba diving in the waters of the Caribbean and swim among the coral reefs and tropical fish.