Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea Pramuk.
Andrea, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’m originally from Baton Rouge. I left high school to pursue the path of a professional artist following in the footsteps of my father, Edward Pramuk. I received formal art training at LSU in Baton Rouge (1986), Kansas City Art Institute (BFA 1990), the University of Texas at Austin (MFA 1994) and at the SACI summer program in Florence, Italy (1986). After graduate school to make ends meet, I found work stuffing envelopes at a local Austin art materials manufacturer, Ampersand Art Supply. I worked my way up in the company while simultaneously pursuing my art career until I became the Marketing Director. I was exposed to every art material under the sun and was fortunate enough to be able to test and develop a number of products I would otherwise not be exposed to.
In 2012, I established my LLC and launched my own business showing and selling my original artwork and creating custom graphics for hospitality, residential, healthcare and retail. And so after 20 years, I left Ampersand and became self-employed in 2016 when I could no longer manage both careers full time. I continue exploring art materials through my experimental and abstract work in mixed media. I currently live in Southwest Austin and work from my home studio/solarium with my musical partner John Orr Franklin and calico studio assistant M. Grace.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Of course, any artist will tell you the road is never smooth but full of potholes and twists and turns. I think one of the hardest parts was making the commitment to live the life I wanted to live: one that didn’t fit into a nice neat box. I made a commitment to be an artist early on in life and have always rolled with the issues surrounding that choice. “Living the life, walking the walk” did not come until later when it was a bigger challenge to make significant life changes by letting go of the security of a regular paycheck, healthcare, etc. I’ll be celebrating five years of self-employment in February 2021, and if I can make it through a pandemic while being able to stay in business, I’ll take that as the most major professional accomplishment of my career. That said, and I speak for a lot of other small businesses when I say this, I am learning volumes about what it really means to be a very small business in the eyes of our governing institutions. I joke that I learn things the hard way and it consistently holds true!
We’d love to hear more about your art.
I make fluid abstract paintings in a style I’ve spent my entire life developing. I most often use Claybord as my substrate, one of the many great products manufactured by Ampersand. I am consistently in the process of developing work that I exhibit in art galleries and museums. I also create original paintings by commission for both private collectors and commercial clients. AREA Environments designed an exclusive collection of wallcoverings featuring my original artwork that they offer nationally including the Allan Knight and Associates showroom in Dallas. And then, I work with a number of international designers and art consultants that place reproductions or originals of my work in hotels, healthcare facilities, cruise ships, restaurants, and retail outlets around the world. I’ve spent my 30-year art career developing my voice as a visual artist and making my work as accessible as possible. My goal has always been to be able to make the art I want to make and having it be accessible. As with most artists, it’s never been about the money; it’s about being able to paint every day, giving it all I’ve got and being rewarded by the joy of my collectors. I absolutely love what I do.
What role has luck (good luck or bad luck) played in your life and business?
Luck is a funny thing. As much as I would like to believe in it, I think the choices we make position us into a universal system that either allows us to flow within it or get tossed aside. The choices I have made led me to where I am today. However, that goes hand in hand with the privileges I was endowed with from day one. It’s our job to recognize that in ourselves and lift each other up any time we can.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.andreapramuk.com
- Email: andrea@andreapramuk.com
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/collect_apramuk
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/andreapramuk
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/apramuk
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/apramuk
Image Credit:
All original artwork, headshot and detail photos ©Andrea Pramuk Art Studio, LLC
“Fire Mandala” custom print installation, photo by private collector in WA.
“Europa” wall covering photo ©AREA Environments
“Rakuyou” diptych of prints in doctor’s office ©JSO Associates
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