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PHOTOGRAPHY BY EMILY DESJARDINS

You know that saying, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” For San Luis Obispo resident ADRIANA LEMUS, when 2020 rolled around and she lost her job, not only did she make lemonade, but she kept going and might as well have made lemon meringue pie, lemon sorbet, lemon cheesecake, and on and on. Except for her, instead, she made art— paintings and pottery. Then, one day, those two things merged. Here is her story . . .

Okay, Adriana, let’s talk about where you’re from. I was born and raised here in San Luis Obispo. I have a brother and he is just a year younger than me, and we were always really close growing up. We shared the same room until seventh grade probably. My dad is an artist, and he was always busy making things, making art. He was always very encouraging, he and my mom both, they encouraged me to do the same, gave me all the materials or anything I needed to make whatever I wanted. Paintbrushes, or whatever it was, there was always something there, everything required to create, whether it was for a school assignment or just for fun.

So, you grew up going to school here in San Luis? Yes, I went to Pacheco [Elementary]. The dual language Spanish-English aspect was such a unique, really great experience. And there was a lot of exposure to art there. Really, for as long as I can remember, I was just always taking art classes in school, always making art. I was lucky to have that opportunity. It was so available that it was never something that I ever really thought about, it was just normal, it felt natural—it was something I always knew I wanted to do. And I received so much support along the way, both Laguna [Middle School] and SLO High were great. I really fell in love with ceramics in high school. I had an incredible teacher, Ms. Dubbink. I think it was my sophomore year when I said, “Okay, this is what I want to do.”

What else stands out from high school? There were so many great experiences. I was so fortunate to be able to take all these incredible art classes, not just ceramics, but also photography and painting. But I would say, the one thing that stands out most for me was when I was a senior. I entered an art show, a countywide show for high school seniors. I had sculpted a little elephant out of clay. It’s one of the Hindu gods named Ganesha. It’s like half-human, half-elephant, and it was sitting on a lotus flower. I ended up getting best of show for that piece. I’ll never forget, Ms. Dubbink was there. She looked over at me when I won and said, “Okay, now you can go on knowing that you are an artist.” That was the first time in my life that I truly thought of myself that way. I started referring to myself as an artist.

So, what came next? I went to Cuesta [College] where I was mostly focused on painting. I learned so much. There were some great instructors and classes. Then, I transferred to U.C. Berkeley to study the practice of art, that’s what the major was called. I was so nervous and, honestly, I wasn’t sure I was supposed to be there, that I fit in, but once I got to know the teachers and the students I started to settle in and felt like I belonged. I realized at some point that it was exactly where I needed to be. So many of those relationships, some really good connections, came out of it—mentors and other artist friends—that I still have to this day. During my first year there I kept up my focus on painting, but then I dove back into ceramics that second year and really haven’t looked back since.

What did you do after Cal? After graduation, I went on a three-month backpacking trip in Europe with another one of my friends who was in the [art] program. We went all over Europe, and it was such a great experience to go with someone who had a similar background. Our goal was to go to as many museums and exhibitions and art-related things as we could possibly visit. So, we went to all the major cities and just did so much. It was amazing. It was really special to see the famous artworks that we had studied, or were exposed to in art history, or even referenced in painting classes. To be able to see them in real life right in front of us was definitely a really, really special experience. >>

Did you have a favorite city? I’d say Paris. I loved Paris. I just loved the city. Loved the language. But, I would say, one of my favorite paintings is by an Italian painter named Botticelli, and his work is in a museum in Florence. He has two huge paintings—I mean huge, like twelve by eighteen feet, or something like that—and to be there was something I will never forget. And, also in Barcelona, at the Picasso Museum that was a definite highlight. Honestly, I didn’t know that Picasso did ceramics. And, so, in this museum, he has all of his ceramics displayed. It was really cool to see that because Picasso has always been an influence of mine. To see that he did ceramics also was awesome. Just the whole thing, the whole trip, really changed my perspective and I came back so full, so inspired, and so ready to throw myself completely into my art.

How did you do that? When I returned, a friend of mine had an extra wheel, a throwing wheel, at their house, and let me borrow it. I moved back home and set up the wheel in my parents’ kitchen. So, I was throwing in the kitchen and painting in my room. After my trip to Europe, I was just so inspired to make art, that I was willing do anything to make it happen. So, to support it, I got a job as a receptionist at a spa. I would do that during the day then come home after work and paint and throw and just keep making. I kept making art. It was a very productive time. I got involved in Art After Dark here in San Luis and did everything I could to get my art out there, to show my work. That was really my main goal, to get it out there.

And what was the first piece you did? Probably the nude selfie. It was around this time that some of my friends would share photos of themselves when they thought they looked beautiful, when they were happy with how their bodies looked. This was through Snapchat, which, if you’re not familiar with the app, the images you send actually disappear shortly after you send them. But, I would sometimes screenshot these photos because being an artist and having just been in Europe where a lot >> of the artwork is all nude, all nude figures, it’s everywhere. And, so, I was really inspired by these photos of my friends and thought they would be beautiful paintings. My first one was just a painting of one of my friends. Then, I had the thought to put it on pottery. So, they merged. I started painting these selfies on pottery. It got going with a few of my friends, then other women saw them and reached out asking to be part of the project. They would send me a photo and I would paint it on pottery for them. I found that I really love doing it because I feel like women are able to see what other real women actually look like. I don’t alter the figure at all. I paint it exactly like the photo. I want to represent these women how they actually are. The project just took off and now I sell these pieces on my website.

Were you able to do it full-time? No, unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to support myself, so I got a job managing events at a wine bar. I was lucky to find myself organizing painting workshops and different kinds of art- related workshops. And, so, as I was organizing those events, I actually started teaching some of the painting workshops, as well. Then I moved into teaching ceramic workshops with a friend of mine. We would do them at the wine bar. And eventually we started doing them at different venues. I fell in love with teaching workshops. I always knew that I had a desire to teach, and I had done teaching jobs here and there, but once I started teaching ceramics, I knew that that’s what I wanted to do. And then 2020 happened and the wine bar shut down and I lost my job.

How did you cope? Well, in a weird way, it actually ended up working out really well for me. I received unemployment, which allowed me to just make art, which is what I’ve always wanted to do because, at first, it was just a side thing. It was what I did when I got home from work or on the weekends, but once everybody was indoors on lockdown, it was perfect for someone like me. I’m definitely more introverted and I love making art. So, it was perfect. It was honestly perfect timing and >>