>>> art
 

I was born in Romania in 1977. When I was 3 years old my family moved to El Cerrito, CA. I grew up in the SF Bay Area.

When I was a pre-teen I started making lots of obsessive doodles.

Around this time I drew this picture of Humphrey Bogart from a picture in the Encyclopedia Britannica my mom had bought from a door-to-door salesman. Then I drew a bunch of old stars that I was into cuz I wasn't allowed to watch modern TV. I also watercolored a ton of flowers.

After my early teens I stopped drawing or painting for a while. When I came back to it after a large chunk of growing up was done, I found myself doing more metaphorical art, influenced by my dreams and breakdowns and things I had learned. I've been consistently making my "new" art for over a decade now. What I got out of that kid stuff was that it's fun to draw familiar objects and it's fun to rant with a pen, pencil or paintbrush. My art still does all those things.

I now live the life of an awesome grown up and make art largely inspired by my subconscious. I've shown work in the SF Bay Area, Sacramento, and Portland, OR, where I currently live. I live with an underground filmmaker spouse, 2 cats, and 1 tiny poodle.

I also design hand print all kinds of paper goods and sell them in my online shop. Check it out!
>>> design
 

I've been working as a professional graphic designer and art director for over 13 years. I've worked with non-profits, hi-tech companies, musicians, and banks and credit unions just to name a few. Check out my work, email me for a resume, or read some of the nice things some of my clients have to say about me:

 

My website, Bright Lights Film Journal (brightlightsfilm.com), was designed and coded during those primitive early days of the web (1995) and desperately in need of revamping. Fortunately, I found Irina Beffa. She quickly came up with an overall plan that included a fantastic new logo design, a complete restructuring of the site, a wealth of branding and marketing ideas, and even the tricky task of merging the website with its associated blog. I can’t say enough good things about working with Irina. Besides being a brilliant designer able to navigate both the big picture and the smallest details, she was always responsive and receptive to my ideas while gently prodding me in the direction of better ones. She’s also a charming, fun person who helped me keep my cool during the process. What I feared would be a nightmare based on the complexity of the project was downright pleasant, and the final product exceeded all my expectations. I still look at my site with awe, and have gotten nothing but positive feedback. I can recommend Irina without reservations for any and all design and branding needs.

— Gary Morris, Editor In Chief, Bright Lights Film Journal
 

I am a fan of Irina! I had the fortunate opportunity to work with her in creating a new logo, slogan and several marketing tools for our 16 year-old non-profit feminist bookstore. At a time we had just moved into a new neighborhood, undergone a significant leadership transition, and rethinking our strategic purpose. Several sessions with Irina culminated into magic! During our time together, Irina carefully listened as I recounted the long and rich history of the organization, the communities we served, and the vision driving our current goals. She skillfully put that narrative into a marketing plan that was thoughtful, innovative, and reflective of our values and needs. Everyone was happy! Irina is highly skilled at the delicate balance between listening to the explicit needs of an organization, observing the more subtle character and personality of a vision, and providing the much-needed expertise to bridge the two. She is attentive, smart, creative and amazing to work with. Everyone needs an Irina!

— Amara Pérez, former Program Director, In Other Words Bookstore
 

I wanted to let Irina know how much I appreciate the fantastic client care & artistic vision you provided for Bohemian Vintage. As a new business owner, there was so much for me to learn and I am forever grateful that you thoroughly & patiently walked me through the steps as the process unfolded. It was extremely helpful to know that I had your expertise to call on when making important decisions-the advice and reassurance you provided at such a stressful time was invaluable. I get SO many compliments on the logo Irina created for us and I'm always happy to refer new clients to you...with full confidence that you'll provide outstanding work at a reasonable price for them as well.

— Carly Kay Hodges Drain, Proprietress, Bohemian Vintage