Andrea is a contemporary abstract artist.

Cernin has had a creative soul from a very young age. In elementary school she was praised by her teachers for her incredible artwork. In middle school her teacher told her that she was going to be a graphic designer when she grew up (a prediction based on Andrea’s over-the-top PowerPoint presentations). From that moment on, she was dead set on what she was going to do with her life.

She received her BFA in Graphic Design from Iowa State University in 2013. She worked in the corporate world as a graphic designer for 10 years while also juggling a wedding invitation business. Then she fell in love with surface pattern design in 2020. Shortly after, she felt a strong calling to express herself with painting. Andrea found her way in the surface pattern and painting world by playing and experimenting daily.

She continues to juggle abstract painting, designing pattern collections, and freelance graphic design on a daily basis. Oh, and being a mom to 2 toddlers, 2 dogs, and a black cat.

Andrea lives in Marion, IA with her husband, Keaton, and their two young daughters, Willow, 4 and Sutton, 2. You can usually find her designing in a coffee shop, drawing on her iPad, or painting in her sunny home studio.

Artist CV

EDUCATION

2013  BFA in Graphic Design — Iowa State University, Ames, IA

2018  Color for Creatives — Gregg Gun

2020  Immersion — Bonnie Christine

2022  Better Than Art School — Amira Rahim

2020  Creative Visionary Program — Nicholas Wilton

2021  Art Really Is Everywhere

2024  Larger, Wilder, Looser — Cat Tesla

2024  Art Fuel — Susan Melrath and Terri Froelich

2025  Color Course for Rebels — Jodie King

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2024  Patron Exhibition by OnView Gallery — Miller Eyecare, Cedar Rapids, IA

AWARDS

2021  Top 10, Planner Cover Art, Golden Coil

2022  1st Place Winner, Planner Cover Art, The Everyday Mother

2024  Top 10, Planner Cover Art, Golden Coil

2025  1st Place Winner, Planner Cover Art, Golden Coil

MARKETS

2025  Uptown Marion Market, Marion, IA

2025  Lubben Winery Market, Anamosa, IA

RELATED EXPERIENCE

2013  Freelance Graphic Designer, Andrea Cernin Design

2020 Freelance Surface Pattern Designer

2023  Commissioned Art Mural for Downtown Iowa City