Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Stephanie Hansen. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Stephanie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

From an early age, maybe 5 or 6 years old, I would sit for my brother when he was a portrait artist studying at the University of Cincinnati, When no one was watching, I would collect his discarded pencils and spent paint tubes, I longed to draw and paint like him, I wished to follow in his footsteps; however, throughout High School my parents squashed that goal and sought to stymie my creativity, they felt one artist in the family was enough, forcing me into the closet, so to speak. In the years that followed, I never allowed the creative light to be fully extinguished, I dabbled in needlework, handmade cards, journal binding, artisan jewelry, leather work, and over-the-top gifts for family and friends, I was always looking for a creative escape. Fast forward to 2017 a friend introduced me to fluid acrylic art, after dabbling for a short time, I felt there had to be more. The non-repeatable abstracts conflicted with my sensibilities and style so, I created my own style using the fluid pours as backgrounds or off-setting negative space creating planned resultant images; portraits, lips, animals, etc. When a gallery in Leesburg, Virginia saw my work and offered me a feature show, I knew I would never be anything other than a professional artist.

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 creative, a woman, a painter, and Pop Artist, and, God help me, for a Mid-West girl, a Floridian! I’m a wife, mother of 2, and slave to a 4-year old English Bull Terrier named Hemingway. I multi-task in my sleep. When I’m prep-ing for a show I paint from the time a wake up until the wee hours of the morning, if I’m on a roll the diminutive animals in my brain take over and I’m just along for the ride. I’m a Pop Art Artist! My work is bold, sometimes loud, sexy and in your face, I paint for myself, I paint to evoke thought, introspection and conversation, hopefully all at the same time. My art is a “process”, born from a stint as a graphic artist and the style I’ve created produces paintings with no brush strokes, just a smooth, unblemished surface that I finish in a 2-part epoxy resin, creating unmatched depth and clarity. Always looking to push the envelope, I’ve found myself adding 3-D elements to my 2-D pieces: dog collar spikes, hand sculpted lips, Austrian Crystals, real butterfly wings, etc. I’m evolving and refining my ability to evoke depth and shadow by painting on and between the layers of epoxy, and in recent months the inclusion of real glass-tube neon is transforming the interesting to the exceptional.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I’m late to the party! Art is a legit 3rd career! In my youth I did the corporate thing, I worked for interesting yet uninspiring businesses, static and unfulfilling! I then, willingly cast that asunder to raise a family: challenging, dwarfing, insanely gratifying….my heart was full! While I was busy changing diapers and molding young minds the internet and social media became the vehicle for the art world, a world where talented yet scantily clad young women painted on camera for Clicks and Likes, daunting to say the least. I was not detoured, I learned that I’m no wallflower, I have voice, vision, and edge, I keep my clothes on and let my ART speak for itself. My story of perseverance and resilience was punctuated in September 2023 by a phone call from a gallery owner, notifying me that significant piece had sold, a shining light on the horizon, validating the relocation of my family from NOVA to Northeast Florida during CoVid, essentially starting life anew, finding a new gallery willing to carry my work, and the struggle to find time and the will to paint again.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I suppose many would say it’s the rush and thrill of a SALE and I won’t lie, there is a certain warmth, an internal verification, knowing that a piece has found a new home; but, for me there’s more, so much more. For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the external validation that your vision, style and talent so resonated with another human being that had to possess it. You see, I leave a little piece of my soul in every painting so while I celebrate the SALE and I embrace the emotion that something I created spoke so deeply to someone that they had to have it in their life, I also morn the loss! Gone is a fragment of me, a fragment that, while it will always be mine, will also never be mine again. What’s left is an empty space on the galley wall, a metaphorical Alpha and Omega, a Beginning and an End.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://stephaniehansenart.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephaniehansenart/?next=%2F
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Planetdwellstudio?

Image Credits

Ken Bacchus
www.kenbacchus.com
@ken.bacchus