Small Business Spotlight: Hannah Dean
We are so excited for our next installment of Small Business Spotlight featuring Hannah Dean! Hannah is an Alabama native currently residing in Houston, Texas and as a full time tax accountant at a big four firm, painting is an outlet for her to express herselfself creatively. You can read and learn more about Hannah over on her website!
Starting Wednesday, April 20th, we will be including a complimentary 5X7 signed art print from Hannah Dean in online orders (while supplies last).
Meet artist, Hannah Dean
Q: When did you develop a love for painting?
HD: I started painting in 2020 during the start of the Covid pandemic. I wanted to have a hobby other than watching trash tv (hello Real Housewives). Within a few weeks, I was fully invested with tons of supplies and a living room scattered with brushes and tools. Soon thereafter, I was put on a reduced work schedule with my job at a big four accounting firm. In the beginning, I was obviously very panicked and worried about what this mean for my accounting career/ life. It turns out those two days off a week turned out to be monumental for me as I was able to really pour myself into painting. I began selling paintings on Facebook marketplace and it took off from there. Not only did this supplement my income during my reduced work schedule but it also gave me a way to utilize my time off from my 9-5 job in a way that was productive and healthy.
Q: What materials do you use in your work? Paints, canvas, paper, etc?
HD: I enjoy working with many different mediums on both canvas and paper. I love stretched canvas because it allows me to paint the edges and continue the straight and clean lines along the sides. I also love working on special handmade paper and using things like pastels, oil sticks, and pencil to create dynamic marks.
Q: From where do you draw your inspiration?
HD: Inspiration comes in unexpected, everyday moments. It could be in the colors of the flowers I see while walking my shih tzu, the lines in the cracks of the sidewalk, or the shapes of the rolling hills in Texas. Lately I’ve become enameled in interior design, so I often find myself using colors drawn from fabric or patterns I see in my coffee table books.
Q: Playing with colors and textures excites us when designing jewelry. What excites you when painting?
HD: There is truly nothing better than waking up with a hot cup of coffee and just letting myself paint freely. I never force myself to paint when I'm not in the mood because I don't ever want it to become a chore for me or something that I really consider "work". The energy and inspiration come in waves, usually after taking a fun trip or reading a good coffee table book.
Q: Any business leaders or artists that inspire or influence you and your brand?
HD: Aryn Guillory (owner and lead designer at Oyster Creek Studios) is one of my role models and someone I look up to as a smart businesswoman and fellow creative. She took a chance on me early on in my art career and I feel so lucky to still be able to partner with her and her team. Everything they touch is pure gold.
Q: What can we look forward to seeing from your brand in the near future?
HD: In the beginning of 2022, I set big goals for both my personal life and my brand. There are gallery partnerships in the works that I am really excited about seeing come to fruition this year. I'm also wanting to be more forward thinking in my work in general and think outside of the box, allowing myself to create without any expectation as to what the output should look like.
Hannah's art can be found at @hannahdeanfineart @thecollectivedallas @oystercreekstudios and @shoppalomaandco