We were lucky to catch up with Hannah Heltzel recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hannah, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
My most meaningful projects are definitely my commissioned paintings. To create art for someone else, you really need to get to know the person, and I love making this connection with my clients. I love the challenge of painting something new and unique specific to each client. I always start the commission process by getting to know the client and what they want to communicate in their painting.
One of the most memorable commissions so far was a painting I did for a friend, Laura. Laura wanted to create a very special painting for her husband for their 8th wedding anniversary. Laura and her husband, Darren, are both lawyers but also parents to six beautiful children and they both love nature. During our first meeting, Laura wanted me to paint a unique Lady Justice but also wanted me to incorporate symbols of family, hope, justice, truth, love, and nature. She gave me creative freedom to create a special Lady Justice for Darren using these ideas. After our initial meeting, I was struck by Laura’s energy – she was so bright and full of love for her and her family. I took this energy back to my studio to create a one-of-a-kind painting for Laura and Darren.
The painting, which we named “The One”, turned out beautiful and is layered with so many unique symbols. The main focal point of the painting is Lady Justice which I intertwined with Mother Nature by creating Lady Justice out of branches and flowers. Lady Justice is surrounded by other plants, birds, and animals. The painting has six birds, which were individually selected by Laura to represent each of her kids and their unique spirits. There are approximately 40 different symbols in the painting, each representing hope, family, justice, truth, and love. After finishing the painting, I also created a book for Darren and Laura which highlights each of the symbols so they can revisit this special time together years from now. I could go on and on about this painting, but the biggest takeaway I have is the joy and honor I felt in creating such a timeless memorable painting for this couple.
Moving forward, I am so excited to start my next commissions. I just finished a colorful Wall Street bull painting for a friend that works in finance. And up next, I have two portraits, a mixed-media piece, and five other unique paintings.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I am a full-time artist based in Atlanta and originally from a small farm in Winterville, Georgia. Color and nature make me happy and you’ll see both reoccur throughout my work. I often use an array of vibrant colors with the ultimate goal of bringing happiness and joy to a space. Growing up on a farm, I always loved to be outside and built an appreciation for nature, flowers, and animals. I love painting flowers, birds, and other natural subjects in vibrant colors. The combination of color and nature bring me that same sense of wonder and adventure that I felt as a kid. While my art is certainly surrealistic in style, I hate the thought of cabining off my style to one certain genre. Instead, I call my art dopamine art – art that just makes you happy.
Have you ever had to pivot?
Although I’ve been creating my whole life, I have only been a full-time artist for a little over a year. Before becoming an artist, I actually was a trial lawyer. Like many, I put my art dreams on pause when I graduated from college and decided to pursue what seemed like a very practical course of becoming a lawyer. I do not regret at all practicing law and in fact, feel as though it taught me so many critical skills that I now use on the business side of my art career. I also met my husband, Matt Kahn, while I was practicing law, and he has been such a big encouragement in pursuing my art dreams. After practicing law for several years, I took a leap of faith and decided to pursue art full-time. I’ve never looked back – if you have a specific dream like becoming an artist and you get the chance to do it, you should. Life is short, and the happiness from pursing your real dream is surreal. I cannot put into words how fulfilling this career (and really life) is. I would like to think you can see my happiness in my paintings.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
Two things – showing the world my view and the joy my clients get from my art. I see art as an opportunity to show your view of the world. We all view the world differently and through different lenses. I happen to view the world through rainbow-colored heart-shaped glasses. I love showing people that view and inspiring happiness and adventure through my art.
Equally as rewarding is seeing my client’s reaction to the art. I love seeing the happiness and awe that art brings people. Even in our own home, we have several special pieces of art created by other artists and each of them makes me feel happiness every time I walk by them. Each has a special memory tied to it. I love thinking about my art bringing that same happiness and memories to others in their homes.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hannahheltzelart.com
- Instagram: hannahheltzelart
- Facebook: Hannah Heltzel Kahn
Image Credits
Nick Burchell