Photo Courtesy Of Erin Hanson
WHERE WERE YOU BORN AND RAISED AND WHERE TO DO YOU PRESENTLY LIVE?
I was born in Portland, Oregon but moved to Los Angeles when I was still quite young. I've lived in Berkeley, California, Las Vegas, Nevada, and more recently, San Diego.
WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT YOUR CURRENT CITY OR HOMETOWN?
San Diego is very close to the coast as well as being a short distance from our beautiful deserts. These are both subject matters I paint often and love to explore. It is easy to spend a whole day exploring the natural scenery that is never more than a handful of minutes away from any city hotspot.
WHAT WERE YOUR ASPIRATIONS GROWING UP?
I always wanted to be a professional artist growing up. I studied art at the private school I went to, and I worked in a mural studio painting huge 40-ft paintings when I was a teenager. Later, in college, I followed my other passion of science and graduated from UC Berkeley in 2003 with a degree in Biology.
WHAT HAS BEEN A PIVOTAL MOMENT?
Likely, the day I decided to finish a painting every single week. This was 11 years ago and I have stuck with that promise ever since. This decision has been invaluable in developing my style and technique.
WHY ART AND WHEN DID YOU START PAINTING?
I love being an artist, because I can influence and inspire so many thousands of people. I like being able to uplift people spiritually and make them look around and appreciate the natural beauty all around us. I first started painting and sketching when I was 8 years old. I used to sit on the sink and sketch my face over and over and over again. I must have sketched my own face hundreds of times as a child.
WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND TRAINING?
I have a degree in Science from UC Berkley. There are many facets of science that likely play into my approach to art but as far as formal art training I am self-taught. What you see is over ten thousand hours of painting, research and studying my craft.
WHAT INSPIRES YOU ON A DAILY AND WHO ARE THE ARTISTS YOU LOOK UP TO?
I would have to say that nature is likely my biggest source of inspiration. Once of my most recent paintings is of the trees and sky just outside of my San Diego gallery. The sky was so vibrant and the trees framed my view in such a striking way, it had to become a painting. There are so many artists that I admire or appreciate, that is a hard thing to answer succinctly. One piece that I saw as a young child at the Getty in Los Angeles was Irises by van Gogh. That was the first time I had really been introduced to Impressionism or Post Impressionism and it really stuck with me.
WHAT ARE YOUR MOST FAVOURED TOOLS AND PAINT TO WORK WITH?
Simple oils and brush.
WHAT THEMES ARE YOU SEEKING TO EVOKE THROUGH YOUR CRAFT?
I think it is more important to let the viewer experience what they experience and not try to tell them what to think. Ultimately, I very much hope that my paintings make the viewer happy, I hope that they feel uplifted in some way and that it brightens their day.
HOW DOES YOUR AESTHETIC TRANSLATE IN OTHER AREAS OF YOUR LIFE?
It would probably be hard for me not to be artistic in many parts of my life. I have always loved and appreciated interior design, fashion and the culinary arts.
WHAT DO YOU GET UP TO WHEN YOU’RE NOT WORKING?
Typically, I explore nature and when possible I love to take a day with my fiancé getting ice cream and catching up on the most recent movies.
HOW DO YOU UNWIND AND STAY CENTERED?
Going for a run helps and when I need to stay focused I will put on an audio book while painting. That helps outside noises or projects from distracting me away from painting.
WHERE WERE YOU BORN AND RAISED AND WHERE TO DO YOU PRESENTLY LIVE?
I was born in Portland, Oregon but moved to Los Angeles when I was still quite young. I've lived in Berkeley, California, Las Vegas, Nevada, and more recently, San Diego.
WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT YOUR CURRENT CITY OR HOMETOWN?
San Diego is very close to the coast as well as being a short distance from our beautiful deserts. These are both subject matters I paint often and love to explore. It is easy to spend a whole day exploring the natural scenery that is never more than a handful of minutes away from any city hotspot.
WHAT WERE YOUR ASPIRATIONS GROWING UP?
I always wanted to be a professional artist growing up. I studied art at the private school I went to, and I worked in a mural studio painting huge 40-ft paintings when I was a teenager. Later, in college, I followed my other passion of science and graduated from UC Berkeley in 2003 with a degree in Biology.
WHAT HAS BEEN A PIVOTAL MOMENT?
Likely, the day I decided to finish a painting every single week. This was 11 years ago and I have stuck with that promise ever since. This decision has been invaluable in developing my style and technique.
WHY ART AND WHEN DID YOU START PAINTING?
I love being an artist, because I can influence and inspire so many thousands of people. I like being able to uplift people spiritually and make them look around and appreciate the natural beauty all around us. I first started painting and sketching when I was 8 years old. I used to sit on the sink and sketch my face over and over and over again. I must have sketched my own face hundreds of times as a child.
WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND TRAINING?
I have a degree in Science from UC Berkley. There are many facets of science that likely play into my approach to art but as far as formal art training I am self-taught. What you see is over ten thousand hours of painting, research and studying my craft.
WHAT INSPIRES YOU ON A DAILY AND WHO ARE THE ARTISTS YOU LOOK UP TO?
I would have to say that nature is likely my biggest source of inspiration. Once of my most recent paintings is of the trees and sky just outside of my San Diego gallery. The sky was so vibrant and the trees framed my view in such a striking way, it had to become a painting. There are so many artists that I admire or appreciate, that is a hard thing to answer succinctly. One piece that I saw as a young child at the Getty in Los Angeles was Irises by van Gogh. That was the first time I had really been introduced to Impressionism or Post Impressionism and it really stuck with me.
WHAT ARE YOUR MOST FAVOURED TOOLS AND PAINT TO WORK WITH?
Simple oils and brush.
WHAT THEMES ARE YOU SEEKING TO EVOKE THROUGH YOUR CRAFT?
I think it is more important to let the viewer experience what they experience and not try to tell them what to think. Ultimately, I very much hope that my paintings make the viewer happy, I hope that they feel uplifted in some way and that it brightens their day.
HOW DOES YOUR AESTHETIC TRANSLATE IN OTHER AREAS OF YOUR LIFE?
It would probably be hard for me not to be artistic in many parts of my life. I have always loved and appreciated interior design, fashion and the culinary arts.
WHAT DO YOU GET UP TO WHEN YOU’RE NOT WORKING?
Typically, I explore nature and when possible I love to take a day with my fiancé getting ice cream and catching up on the most recent movies.
HOW DO YOU UNWIND AND STAY CENTERED?
Going for a run helps and when I need to stay focused I will put on an audio book while painting. That helps outside noises or projects from distracting me away from painting.
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