Today we’d like to introduce you to Deanna Burke.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
Being an artist was something I was drawn to naturally (no pun intended). My parents were also always supportive. When I was four or five years old, my father taught me how to draw on the computer. I used Microsoft Paint on a PC computer that had a whopping 1000 mb hard drive. They also didn’t hesitate when I showed interest in going to a technical school, and even supported my decision to go to art school.
My high school experience was non-traditional. I alternated weeks of shop and academics so there were full weeks spent learning design and working for the school making brochures, notepads and business cards. In a weird way, North Shore Tech provided me some great insight into what it was like to be a working artist. It’s worth it to note that I decided on taking Graphic Design over Commercial Arts when choosing a shop. A part of me was worried drawing would become a chore rather than an outlet, but my perspective changed when a teacher put it this way: “If you love drawing so much, and you chose to draw for your career, you wouldn’t have to work a day in your life.” I took that to heart and instead of pursuing graphic design in college, I chose to major in Illustration.
During college, I worked harder than I ever had before. I didn’t know why I seemed to be struggling with simple things that other people understood right away. I started seeing a therapist who diagnosed me with Anxiety and ADHD. She called ADHD a superpower, which I quickly adapted and here’s why: with ADHD, a person can do five things at once in the time it takes most typical brains to do one thing. The problem with ADHD is organizing the knowledge you have already and applying it to your life and, in my case, illustration assignments. You can get overwhelmed quickly, which is why ADHD and anxiety are a deadly combo. Before I learned better coping mechanisms for these issues, the overwhelm feeling would leave me frozen watching the world go on without me.
Art making is a habit you have to develop, so after college, I immediately rented a studio space in an artist’s building. At some point I met, Will Pottorff who to this day has become my partner in crime. We moved in together and converted one of the bedrooms in our apartment to a studio space.
When I became unemployed about two and a half years ago, I started getting desperate for income. I signed up with a temp agency to get any job who would take me, at least until I could get on my feet again. That’s when The Creative group found me. I broke down in the temp agency office one day and showed them my artist’s resume Someone heard me discussing my Adobe skills and referred me to TCG. If I kept all that in and tried to do things on my own, I would not be where I am today. I got work as a contractor at Culver Company and they recently hired me on permanently as design support. Now I have come completely full circle from high school, 10 years older and more interested than anything in getting socks for the holidays. What a life.
Please tell us about your art.
I am an illustrator, a graphic designer at a marketing firm, and I run a critique group for creatives, which is still in the process of leaving the ground. As an Illustrator, I use a mixture of traditional and digital methods. I use a lot of ink, gouache, and acrylic paints and mediums. If I feel inclined, I will scan sketches and textures into Photoshop and work some magic there. My goal is to make sure no one can tell which piece was made digitally and which piece was made traditionally. The message for each illustration will change depending on the subject matter I choose to research. As of late, most of my focus has gone into making gig posters for live music and comedy shows. With those, the message is usually the same: “Come to this event, you won’t want to miss it!”
I must get this off my chest – there’s this idea that inspiration strikes at random or that a Muse must come to you before you make art. I believe that inspiration can come only in lieu of a new experience or piece of knowledge. I believe that it can come from anywhere and it can also be conjured when you don’t have any. You don’t have to wait for inspiration to arrive because inspiration can be anything and everything in your life. I love learning about where we come from and why our brains and bodies work the way they do, I love horror movies, good and bad, and 80s music. I just finished Steven King’s Mr. Mercedes and had to pick up Finders Keepers, End of Watch, and The Outsider. I just started listening to a podcast called Lore which goes into the history behind spooky folklore. Coming home from work, I drive by a farm that has a sunflower field and all of them are in bloom right now. All I can think about is how wonderful they are and how they are all going to die and become the earth again.
I hope when people see my work, they might have some personal communication with the piece they can take with them. I think that tends to be the almighty goal of art making. Because my work is kind of spooky, I hope that at the very least others can appreciate the spook factor as much as I do.
Given everything that is going on in the world today, do you think the role of artists has changed? How do local, national or international events and issues affect your art?
Absolutely not. I think artists are the ones who need to push for change and emphasize important issues in society. This is especially important now more than ever with the ease we find ourselves sharing pictures and words on the internet. I personally am not politically driven as an artist, but I will throw in my opinion if I feel the need is there.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
Please, go see my website and find me on social media. The best way to support me as an illustrator would be to reach out via email and ask me to help you with a project. My contact info is on my website, I can’t wait to hear from you!
Contact Info:
- Website: deannaburkeart.com
- Email: deanna@deannaburkeart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deannaburkeart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deannaburkeart/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/deannaburkeart/
Image Credit:
Deanna Burke
Bob Packert – Personal photo
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