Today we’d like to introduce you to Andra Judd
Hi Andra, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up loving art! I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Art at Brigham Young University in 2009 and married my sweetheart in 2010. After graduating I tried to find time to work on my art, but it was a struggle while raising young children. I started a business, AndraMedia LLC, and was able to create some new artwork, teach art classes and do workshops out of my home, but it continued to be a struggle to balance everything with a young family.
In 2015 we lost our second son hours after birth. Though we were obviously grief stricken, being members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and having a belief in Christ’s triumph over death, gave us hope in seeing our son again and we were able to move forward in faith. This experience has given me much empathy towards others who have lost children and loved ones.
A friend of mine, after losing her son, reached out to me to ask if I’d create a painting of her family that would include her angel son. Since then I have created numerous portraits that incorporate family angels, including our own.
Since losing my son I have focused primarily on creating religious paintings in an effort to edify and bring peace to observers. I hope to continue to increase my portfolio in order to offer more of a variety of uplifting artwork.
Life has moved us from Orem, Utah to Waco, Texas and finally to Roosevelt, Utah for my husband’s helicopter pilot career. I always joked that moving to Waco prepared me to move to Roosevelt, but now that I’m here I can’t imagine living anywhere else! We love the quiet, small town area and our beautiful home in the country.
After having my last child, (my only girl), I found a new passion for baking and making beautiful and tasty treats. I wanted to make these goodies available to my new community and found that this new hobby made it easier to meet people and create new lasting connections and friendships.
While my client base grew more rapidly than expected, I have tried to keep that as more of a “part time” hobby and I have focused more on spending time with my family and creating more religious paintings. I love to stay busy! I love having the ability to create things for others that bring them joy; whether it’s beautiful cakes or uplifting artwork!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I think one of the most common struggles that mothers have is balancing their time raising children with all the other responsibilities and interests that they have. I am no exception. The amount of work I’ve put into my art and bakery business has ebbed and flowed over the years as I’ve tried to balance it all.
I’m grateful for a supportive husband and family as I’ve tried to navigate my life and these businesses.
I’ve made the mistake of taking on too much at once and running myself ragged. At that point it’s not only myself who suffers, but my family as well. Over the last several months I’ve really tried to cut back the amount of time I spend on my baking business to allow myself more time to paint and take care of my family.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
While studying at BYU I had the opportunity to try all types of art media and had some amazing direction from notable artists and professors. My favorite media to use has been oil, however, as I’ve had children and limited workspace in my home, I’ve transitioned over to more convenient medias like watercolors and digital.
I love realism and portraiture. I love trying to capture the beauty of real life and improving upon it to create breathtaking and meaningful paintings. I hope to continue to inspire and uplift others through my artwork. I focus primarily on religious themes and what I call “faceless portraits,” which are artistic depictions of families often including family angels.
These faceless portraits allow me to bring comfort and peace to those who have lost loved ones or who are suffering from other trials. Creating these portraits with ink and watercolor gives me the flexibility to personalize each piece and make it their own. My clients love seeing themselves in the portrait along with other family members and family angels.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
I love that my businesses allow me to connect with so many people both locally as well as across the world. I’ve had clients from as far as Canada reach out to me for art commissions and all across the US for shipped goodies from my de•lish shop!
Pricing:
- $50 deposit for custom Faceless Portraits
- $12+ art prints & products
- $20 deposit for party or cake orders
- $6+ miscellaneous baked goods & treats
Contact Info:
- Website: https://andrajudd.wixsite.com/andramedia
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/andramediallc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/delishbyAndra
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/delishbyAndra
