We recently connected with Sadeja Jones and have shared our conversation below.

Sadeja, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

About six years ago, when I moved to Atlanta from New York City. Growing up I would doodle in every book during class, I won an Christmas themed art contest in 1999 for Time Magazine. I remember drawing a tall brown skin female Santa next to a decorated tree with presents all around. From that day forward I would continue to sketch and draw as far as my imagination would take me, experimenting with oil pastels and markers. There was a time after high school I wanted to attend art school, my mom took me to an art school in Boston where I was told my drawings were “mediocre”. After hearing that I was motivated to teach myself to paint and practice what I learned, once I got to Atlanta I was ready to branch out and share my creations. Since 2017 I have done several arts shows, sold a few pieces, done commission work and recently had a group art exhibition with a Surreal art group I am apart of called Phantasmagoria. I have a beautiful two year old son that motivates me everyday to keep pushing. I found my creative spark in surrealism, I feel free like the bird hybrids I paint as I continue to learn with each creation and propel myself to becoming a full time artist I wouldn’t see myself doing anything els professionally.

Sadeja, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I grew up in NYC, born in Harlem I was descend to become an artist, I come from a family of creatives from musicians to artists. I found my inspiration in Hybrid Surreal art, around 2017 when I migrated from The Bronx to Atlanta I moved into my first apartment. During that time I would sell my first art commission and attend my first art show. From there I continued to find myself wanting to experiment different art styles to create something people haven’t seen, I wanted to create something that brought about curiosity and beauty in one.I was enjoying bird watching with my cat one day at home, there were two birds in a tree facing each other. From where I was watching it appeared to me as if they were having a conversation which lead me to imagine what it would look like if birds lived a human experience. Inspired in that moment I created my first Hybrid piece call “Creatures and Crumpets”. The piece showed a raven and hummingbird sitting at a table built into a tree they lived in having bugs and tea for breakfast. From there I would continue to experiment with different species of bird and styles of art to create the visions I would have. The idea was to create unusual pieces that placed birds in settings that were familiar to the region the bird came from, with no formal education in art. I taught myself to use acrylic paint to create my vision, watching documentaries, reading and researching different art styles I found myself inspired by “Low Brow” surrealism. Painting these bird hybrids give me a sense of freedom to create the unknown with vibrant colors and texture, I bring to being stunning creatures that express emotions through their eyes, compositional poses and settings. As I made my journey as an artist I have showcased and sold art/art prints , I’ve built a following of both clients and fans of my work. My most proudest moment was recently this past October, I am apart of a surreal art group called “Phantasmagoria Art Collective” and we had our first group surreal exhibition. It was a successful night for us all, I was thrilled to showcase my newest creations along with some digital art I have done. The feedback I received was so encouraging and has pushed me towards more avenues I can express myself creatively. At one point I never thought I’d be where I am today. Around 2020 I became pregnant with my son which lead me to leave my job as a pharmacy Technician because of covid, after his birth I suffered with postpartum depression and was in a car accident. It was a struggle recovering and being a new mother, for a while I lost inspiration to create. Luckily I am blessed with great family and friends that helped me along the way with spiritual therapy both physical and mental I got through that dark period. Since I have used art to heal myself through my emotions as well as teach my son who has shown interest in art. I envision my art in more homes, I feel they are not only beautiful to the gaze but invites a conversation about the “strange and unusual” life forms I bring to our reality. My goal is to showcase and travel with my art to other states/countries, get my own studio and teach others to express themselves through art. I want to immortalize myself through everything I create like the great artist before me and evolving with each piece. I also want to take my mom to Paris on day to visit The Louvre, she’s my biggest supporter and I’m so grateful to have such a wonderful caring mother. I love you mom.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, The audience reaction to my bird hybrids. The look of bewilder and wonderment when they first see one of my paintings gives me the drive to create and experiment with more bird species. When I first started I was a bit self conscious about showing my creations to others since I didn’t have any formal art education and all iv learned is through practice by what i would watch on YouTube, read in art books, and visiting museums I applied to my skills. Throughout this journey I’ve been granted the opportunity to showcase these skills and meet people who have become fans/collectors of my work. I appreciate when people tell me what they see and feel when they view my paintings, it gives me more of a connection to my audience. I put a lot of time, detail and research into my creations, so for my audience and clients to notice the passion I have when they see one of my birds is most rewarding to me.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

my personal goal is to continue to showcase my paintings in galleries and museums to gain a larger audience of collectors and fans. I want to travel to different states/countries so I can also bring awareness to endangered bird species, due to habitat loss and exploitation. With the funds I gain through sells and projects, I will create a foundation that helps protect and preserve the wildfire of these beautiful birds. I want to show the beauty of these birds through my art, to tell a story to captivate my audience to become fascinated and know that there is a way to not only help me the artist spread awareness, they also will know that they are helping to preserve the essence and beauty of these endangered species. When I get older I want to share my experiences and what iv learned in my journey with others who inspire to do great things with their creative talents by creating after school programs for the youth and advocate for art teachers in schools to have better funding so they can help fuel the creative youths of the future.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_sunflowersamurai
• Other: Email: [email protected]