Andrea James: teacher, artist, muralist, consultant from Long Beach, California
Andrea James, has been creating since she could hold a paintbrush. Art is deep in her soul, and it is expressed through her ability to inspire people around her. She knew she wanted to create as a child, but it wasn't until high school that she was really exposed to the endless possibilities and directions art could take her. She realized her "purpose" was to open the eyes of others who also don't realize the power of art and that it can change their lives.
Andrea taught high school art for over 18 years. By working with teens and showing them a variety of creative pathways, her fire was fueled by spreading the power of ART. Andrea enjoys sharing her art and talents with her local community and has participated in several community upliftment/beautification projects.
Background Info: Andrea was born and raised in Long Beach, CA. She graduated from St. Anthony High School. She then studied in London, and then finished an art degree at CSU Chico. She also went on to received Education Specialist, Art Education and CTE credentials from CSU Long Beach.
Andrea lived in Hawaii from 2009-2020, where she taught art, painted murals, and started Create A Canvas Mobile Studio (Create562dio), an art instruction/event company spreading creativity to all ages and abilities.
With her free time, Andrea loves to travel, which is where most of her inspirations come from. Culture, color, vibrancy, and boldness are the main characteristics of her art work. She is very drawn to nature and the ocean. She is a strong believer that "perfection is boring", and is very inspired by the imperfections found in nature.
She loves playing with paint, and experimenting with the possibilities, and reactions. Andrea enjoys working large, and creating murals is her favorite art medium.
She is looking forward to creating several more murals around the city. Look UP, you might catch her!