This month’s featured artist is Olivia Peñero. She’s a versatile designer from Naga. Met her thru blogging. April is her birth month as well. Here’s Olivia!
Featured Artist of the Month: Olivia Peñero
Getting to Know Olivia
Olivia Peñero
What made you start with this craft?
In terms of drawing and lettering, I was told to have started young, around 3 or 4 years old. My mom repeats the same story over and over again, that I’d take her lip liners, lipsticks, and anything else with color and draw bobblehead-looking characters on the walls of our house. When I finally got crayons and paper, then got into Disney princesses and all, my love for the craft just took off. I don’t think it was really a choice to do this, but I guess the skill was there so I just studied and honed it. As for writing, I started in 1st year high school, when I decided to join Journalism Club and the school paper. It was an easy way for me to get away from the world and make one of my own, too.
How long have you been doing this craft?
Do you know how some people turn to TV shows to relax, or how others splurge on food or hotels to take the stress off? Well, that’s me, only my meds are music, writing, and drawing. It’s easy to do what you love, and it’s a bonus when people appreciate it as well. I guess in general, I went for my craft because it was therapeutic and fulfilling.
Yes! I still have some even now, actually. The struggle was mainly me comparing myself to everyone else. I always feel so, SO down when I see another artist’s work and how amazing it already is, while mine is – forgive the word – SHIT. This happens from time to time, but I get through it just as fast as they come. I often realize I have my own style, my own journey, my own audience, and my own voice. This just cycles, haha.
Favorite quote?
Too many, but if I had to choose one now, it would be,
Fake it ’til you become it.
Amy Cuddy.
I ADORE THIS WOMAN. She’s one of the reasons why I decided to study body language on the side. Haha.
What keeps you on doing the craft?
I guess there’s just so much ground yet to be covered. What most people are doing now are becoming so common that I gag at times. They’re becoming too identical. Too much of the same thing is never a good thing, so I want to keep pursuing the craft and seeing what else there is to do with it. That, aside from it being my stress reliever. VERY effective.
- iPad Pro + Apple Pencil
- Tombow Fude Hard Tip Pen
- Sakura watercolors
I learned by searching for inspiration on Pinterest and Google. I didn’t have formal training with lettering, but I did have the basics of color theory, principles of design, and others.
The best advice I could give is to make sure your foundations are stable (color theory & other technical things), before pursuing the fancier fields.
If you were to describe the craft in three words, what will those be?
- Relaxing
- “Maarte“
- Expensive
Maarte is a Filipino term which could loosely mean choosy or picky. Sometimes it could be interpreted as one who loves art such as “ma-art, eh.”
Catch Olivia on:
11 Comments
She is so talented. I love to do with with calligraphy and started to working on it from basic stroke… Its so amazing to look at ever stroke and curves of it and compose a stinging sensation when it done. She’s right with “fake it till you become it”. More power to both of you. May the curves and stroke create you more styles.
I can certainly relate to you girls since I’m “artistically” inclined too. Growing up, I also enjoyed drawing using anything that can produce a mark. Yet it’s not my day job, but still enjoy doing it every now and then. Having said that, I adore your works. Such a fan!
Wow, she’s truly inspiring. Knowing that she’s a designer by blood, she will definitely dance with letters as her craft cause she likes art. Anyway, thank you for featuring her in your blog, she’s amazing and interesting. I’ll surely check her blog. I wish I have that kind of talent, hopefully.
I’m into visual arts too.. More on manual or traditional drawing and painting. Her style looks modern, very nice! Luv that anime drawing 🙂 nice of you as well to feature artists..
I very familiar with Olivia and her gorgeous work! I think your interview captured the essence of her creativity and her beautiful soul perfectly.
What I found the most interesting, however, is that she doesn’t have formal training with lettering. I have a similar background, self-taught in photography through google and Pinterest. It goes to show that if you love some enough, you will find the time to evolve naturally.
I’ve loved your post and I’m looking forward to reading more of your poss! 🙂
Indeed doing what you love makes you relax, especially art, for me I can express my art through dance and makeup, both of you are great artist, Ms Penero’s work is also good, I love how she makes the color pop on the beautiful face she created, so stunning
Her works are gorgeous! I feel happy for you getting to know a fellow artist from the Bicolandia region. That must be so nice, having conversations about art and such. ^_^ I’m no artist in the real sense of the word, but I have yet to meet another
artistahinkinda-artist like me from the same area. That is, someone who is also into hand lettering and calligraphy.Ooh, wow! Her artworks are wonderful. <3 I’m glad that she finds peace and relaxation through her art! So inspiring. 🙂 I’ve always been the frustrated artist but I guess that path’s not for me.
I wish Olivia all the luck in the world. Are there any specific sites that promote artworks such as Olivia’s? Please let me know. There are so many youngsters who are coming up with their art works and are looking for the right platforms.
Is it her piece of art, the cartooned character one? If it isn’t a talent, she sure had the most effort invested for this honed skill! But really, I envied people who are really passionate towards things most especially if they get succeed in the field they have taken. I am sure this woman will be going places for her passion! 🙂
There’s one thing I’m certain about, you are both talented people! I’m happy for both of you too having found a friend in each other. Sometimes, online found friends are the best!