Featured Artist / Hannah Winters Art
There are so many incredible designers, artists, and creatives in our world. We wanted to give them a little space on our blog to share their hearts, stories, inspiration, etc. In this series, we’ll interview designers and artists and share the conversation with you.
Today, we’re chatting with Hannah Winters from Hannah Winters Art. We connected with Hannah on Instagram and fell in love not only with her work (so much so that we started carrying her prints in our Shoppe - check them out here), but how sweet she is as a person. Anyways, let’s get into it.
Tell us about yourself. How has your career developed?
“My parents put me in private art classes when I was 8 years old. I spent two hours every Saturday morning studying color, light, shadows and depth perception. I studied famous artists and was taught how to paint with only primary colors. I learned about impressionism and studied the paintings of people from long ago. I painted portraits, still life, and even followed Jackson Pollock’s lead with a splatter painting while studying abstract impressionism. I felt at home in that studio.
When I was 13 I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease and got very sick. Over the course of a decade and a half, I endured many hospitalizations, surgeries and medications - and art took the back seat while I prioritized my health. I lost my hunger for painting along the way, and I didn’t know how to get it back. My parents even encouraged me to major in art (and in hindsight, I love this part of the story so much. While many parents push their kids to major in something - anything - other than an art degree, my parents believed in me so much!) I really think I wanted to rebel and do something totally different than I’d ever done, which landed in me in nursing.
I worked as a NICU nurse for 5 years at the Children’s Hospital in our city. I loved doing that work- I took care of incredible families and met so many wonderful people. I learned so much about motherhood on that unit and what it means to fight for your child. I loved the work I did as a nurse, but I craved creativity. As much as I loved caring for others, I always knew I wasn’t doing the work that I felt I was made to do.
Over the last 10 years, my mom and my husband, Jack, would buy me a paint set, or a set of really nice paint brushes for birthdays or Christmas. They’d sit in the closet and gather dust. I just didn’t know how to start again. I was paralyzed with fear and failure. It wasn’t until I gave birth to our miracle twin boys, Camp and Wells, that I found myself digging through storage to find the art supplies. When I’d put our boys down for their nap, I’d sneak in a few strokes. I painted without any intention of selling anything. I wanted to revisit what it felt like to hold a paintbrush and the feeling of mixing paint with a palette knife. I remembered the smell of the paint and the feeling of a gliding brush on canvas. It was like catching up with an old friend over coffee and picking up where we left off. It felt so effortless and comforting and familiar.
I created my business to be a creative outlet for me. It was designed with the intention to create peaceful, meaningful pieces that tell a story or remind the collector of something or somewhere special. Each piece I make is created with deep thoughtfulness and a place of peace. I never would have ever believed you if you told me a few years ago that this is where I’d be - but I have my boys to thank for that. They reminded me of who I am and helped me step confidently and unapologetically into who I was made to be. It feels so good to be “home” again after so many years.”
What’s your favorite part of the design process?
“My favorite part of my process is picking a playlist to paint to. Music is so influential to my work and I can’t paint without it. I love John Mark Pantana, Justin Jarvis, José González, Hillsong, and Steffany Gretzinger - these artists truly play such a role in my creativity.”
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
“Any work from the Impressionist Movement. A friend turned me on to a book titled, “Impressionism: The Birth of Light in Painting”. This book highlights Monet, Degas, Cezanne, Manet, Renoir, Rousseau, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Seurat and Toulouse-Lautrec - all of the artists I studied as a child. Short brushstrokes inspire me, especially when I’m working with oil pastels. What I would give to take an art lesson from one of them!
Any time I step outside I’m inspired. There isn’t a moment I’m not pulling my phone out to take a picture of a tree or the shape of the mountains in the distance. My husband knows to always send pictures of trees for me. The more unique the shape, the better!”
Who are your biggest influences?
“Artistically speaking, all of the aforementioned artists influence me. But when it comes to day to day life, it’s Jack - he’s my solid ground. He’s steady, solid, calm, kind, and deeply thoughtful. He is truly my biggest cheerleader. He influences me daily to sit down for a moment to paint - and always encourages me to “paint just to paint!” I love that he loves this part about me and nurtures it to grow even more. I’m lucky to have a husband that supported me quitting my career to pursue something entirely different. He believed in me from the beginning and that says everything about him.
I’m also extremely close with my family. I’m one of three girls (I’m the middle!) and my sisters are my best friends. I’ve got a handful of great girlfriends who truly celebrate my successes with me without any hesitation or envy. I feel incredibly lucky to have genuine friendships, my sisters and my parents - all of whom are the loudest ones cheering for me from the sidelines. These people influence me daily to paint for the process, and not for perfectionism.”
Love Hannah as much as we do? Find more of her work on her website here or Instagram here.
Photographed by Meghan Gray.