Jeanetta Gonzales

I had a round-about path to becoming an illustrator. A few years after receiving a degree in Fine Art, I decided I wanted to be a designer and went to another college for Graphic Design. After many years being a graphic designer I found myself missing making art. I learned about surface pattern design, studied it and became a surface pattern designer. While making surface pattern designs I started drawing compositions of lettering phrases, scenes and people. It just evolved and circled back to making art again as I did in college but now using all the skills I picked up along the way.

I grew up in a small, picturesque seaport town in Connecticut.

I remember clearly teaching myself to draw. I loved coloring in coloring books but I wanted to be able to draw and color my own characters. I took drawing paper and over-layed it on the coloring pages to trace the characters. I was really into the Smurfs and taught myself how to draw Papa Smurf and Smurfette after tracing them over and over. Before long I could draw them on my own and color them in. I gave the drawings to my mom and she put them on the fridge to celebrate.

I live in Los Angeles. I attended college here at UCLA many years ago and never left. The weather and laid back, beachy, healthy lifestyle suited me well. There’s always fun things to do and the food can’t be beat.

I converted the dining room in our apartment into my studio. I am a bit of a maximalist so the small space is filled with large pin boards with my art and collected fabrics, patterns, cards and images of things that make me happy. I have a big teal stripe painted on the wall and bookshelves with books and art supplies out where I can get them easily. I have it set up in stations so I can paint and draw at one desk, work on my Wacom Cintiq on another and scan/print in another area.

I am on the second floor and have a large tree directly in front of the window that birds and squirrels can be seen running about on throughout the day.

I follow pop culture, current events and love looking at images on Pinterest and Instagram. I find that ideas come from things I am learning about or drawn to.

If I find a pattern on a small item that I LOVE like a vintage scarf, a shopping bag, a card, a small bag or gift item I will most likely buy it or collect it. I can’t resist a good pattern.

I like being outdoors. It’s always so warm and sunny here so going for a hike, a walk or jog is a must. I love shopping at the local farmer’s markets, dining outdoors and going to the beach.

I can’t honestly remember but I do remember playing Madonna’s first album on cassette tape on repeat as a kid.

I recently illustrated for the New York Times where I drew a piece for an article on the possibility of having a baseball team in Nashville, TN. It was a good challenge for me to illustrate for a sports article. I enjoyed researching and drawing Nashville’s landmarks and baseball iconography.

I’d love to illustrate for a beauty company, do a large-scale outdoor campaign for a brand or television show and illustrate for women’s magazines.

When the objective is clear, there are examples given for inspiration, there’s ample time to complete it and creative freedom.

I have so many, Monet, Warhol, Mark Bradford, Amy Sherald and several others

William Morris. A genius with different forms of design such as furniture and pattern design.

I think Coltrane is high up on the list for me.

I would probably be an interior designer. I love finding the right balance in a room of function, color, pattern and style.

Keep going. I have had times in my career when I thought I should pivot and since I stayed the course I can see now how things come together and evolve when given the chance.

The Mediterranean. I would love to stay there for some time.

I can twirl a baton.

Artistic, Creative, Helpful

I can never grow tired of flowers. I always find inspiration in them. So much variety, texture and color - and they make me happy.

Cake. I love all forms of it. (I’m celiac so as long as it is gluten free).

The Bourne Identity or the last two Harry Potter films.

It depends on the mood I am in. It could be Podcasts for creative professionals or politics or listening to 90’s hip hop.

“Killing Eve”

The Monet exhibit at the Denver Art Museum last October. It was amazing.

I stop what I am doing. I need to get my mind off of the issue and do something fun or distracting. I go for a walk, work on something else, dance or cook something. I find it allows for mental space and I can come back to my work with a fresh mind, better attitude and by then I have some new ideas or a solution.

Lately catching up on sleep has been my hobby.

I’m an expert on procrastinating.