Meet Violeta Encarnación | Illustrator and Animator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Violeta Encarnación and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Violeta, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I consider that when you choose to pursue a career in the creative field, that initial choice could already be considered risky. It is such a competitive and dynamic world, that although I can see multiple new doors opening up for the kind of work that I do, I also see many of the jobs I dreamed of having while I was in college begin to dwindle. I believe that the stereotype of the starving artist can be debunked with the right drive, attitude, and of course a bit of luck. But everyone’s path is so different, that there aren’t a set of steps to follow, so it often feels like you are moving in the dark. However, that’s also where the excitement and fun comes from. Navigating between what I want to create and what I think the market needs, being spontaneous with my work, but also calculating to a certain extent to appeal to my target audience, are all things that don’t come with instructions, so I am bound to take the occasional wrong turn.

Something that I think has been crucial to my career, speaking from the perspective of risk-taking and jumping into the unknown has been the classic image of the swimming lessons. You know? The one where you are pushed into the deep end and forced to learn purely through your survival instinct? Yes, that one. I don’t recommend doing it often, but I have said yes to projects that I wasn’t fully versed in, as a way to dive into an adventure and take the opportunity to learn something new. My start in animation came from a videographer that liked my illustrations and asked if I would be able to add animations to a music video he was working on. I had never before made anything move, but I agreed to do it anyway. Although I knew I was no animator, I was confident in my ability to focus, learn quickly and I was somewhat familiar with the program. Sure enough, after many computer crashes and After Effect nightmares, the piece was finished on time, and the client was happy. That project forged a relationship between me and the music video world, which changed the way I think about my future and opened doors to creating some of my favorite works. I don’t think that overselling yourself is ever a good idea when your reputation and that of other people is on the line, but when you are confident in your capacity to grow and thrive under pressure, it’s important to take risks and give yourself the chance to surpass expectations and flourish. We know ourselves better than anyone so before hoping that others believe in us, we need to bet on ourselves first by taking risks.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I was born and raised in Cuba and since, I have lived in Madrid, Miami, and New York City. Because of my changing environment, I have had the opportunity to experience a variety of places, cultures, belief systems and people, which have shaped me into the woman and visual artist I am today. I am constantly carrying with me all those influences and their stories make appearances in the work I create. I would not say that my work is entirely original, since at the end of the day it is a compilation of all that inspires me, but it is genuine and honest since I give those ideas a new life through the manner in which I portray them. We all have our own way of seeing the world around us, so reinterpreting reality and showing our perspective can be interesting and illuminating to those who share our views, as well as those who do not.

In the topic of combining ideas, feelings, and perspectives, that’s what mainly drives the look of my pieces. They are a collage of styles and materials which make the work come to life and read as real. I relate to the figures and ambiance in my illustrations and animations despite them being so distorted, because somehow they come across as very human and palpable in their lack of structure and chaotic nature.

I have gotten to where I am now in my career because I love what I do. In my line of work, due to the abundance of creativity and skill around me, I am always trying to find exciting and unexpected ways of telling the stories we all know. I’ve learned to never go for the first few ideas that pop into my head when approaching a new brief, because those are likely the most common ones, and they’ve probably been done before. It is as challenging as it is rewarding to see that not only did you exceed the expectations of your client, but those you had of yourself as well. I love trying new things and teaching myself new programs and techniques to incorporate into my art practice for keeping the work fresh.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If the arts are interesting to them, I would bring my friends for a day trip around the Miami Design District. The area is full of incredible galleries showcasing a diversity of artists year-round and plenty of great places to eat, all surrounded by fantastic architecture.

Visiting Bayside is also a must if a friend was visiting. It has a lot of cool shops to see, live music, and the City of Miami marina at its side.

I would also recommend visiting The Vizcaya Museum and Gardens as well as the The Miami Beach Botanical Garden.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
As a recent graduate, the latests mentors and supporters for my current work are my dear professors and graduates from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. The professionals who showed me there is no right or wrong way to have a career in the arts and the classmates who graduated with me into this new world of possibilities have been a wonderful source or inspiration and support.

Website: https://www.violetaencarnacion.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_violeta.encarnacion_/

Other: https://www.violetaencarnacion.com/animation