Rising Stars: Meet Hannah Collins

Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah Collins.

Hi Hannah, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I have loved art for as long as I can remember but didn’t really begin to take it seriously until I entered my third year of college.

Covid hit and I was starting to focus on my art style and put more effort into my work. I decided that because I was getting money from unemployment, rather than waste it, I would put it all towards starting my own business, Hannah Collins Art (HCOLNS ART)!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It hasn’t been the easiest journey… obviously, the initial startup was difficult, not only because of the cost, but also the fear that it might not turn out as successful as I was hoping it might be. Art is complicated because you go through periods where you are very successful, selling lots of prints, taking on commissions, etc. and then there are other times where you don’t create or sell a single thing.

Navigating this pattern has been one of the most difficult challenges for me because I expected it to at least stay pretty stagnant, if not increase. At the end of the day I just have to remind myself that art is a fluid process and selling it is too, and regardless of the success rate I should never stop creating.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize mainly in acrylic, and abstract portraits. I like to separate the highlights and shadows of a figure and assign each a color, and I avoid blending as much as possible.

I call my work abstract because it defies what most would consider a traditional portrait, however, I like to leave my style up to the interpretation of the viewer. One thing I view differently from most artists is the idea that all art must have meaning, I like to believe that while meaning in art is beautiful, artwork can also provide a strictly aesthetic purpose and the viewer can still appreciate it. That’s not to say I don’t include emotion and meaning in some of my work, but most of the time, that is the last thing on my mind when I come up with an idea for a painting.

What do you think about happiness?
I love everyday simplicity. Going for a walk, grabbing a latte from my favorite coffee shop, reading a book in a hammock, etc. I’ve been very focused on romanticizing my life recently and making the most out of what I have.

Contact Info:

• Website: hcolnsart.etsy.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/hcolnsart
• Facebook: facebook.com/hcolnsart