Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah Graff.
Hi Hannah, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Hello, my name is Hannah. I am a thirty-one-year-old freelance artist living in Cincinnati. I received my Bachelor’s in Illustration from The Art Academy of Cincinnati. My love and passion for art began with my fascination with illustrations found in children’s books, especially those from the fairy tales my parents would read to me. The lush illustrations and detailed images left an impression on my mind, and to this day continue to influence my work. As soon as I was old enough to hold a marker, I was creating art. My wonderful parents supported this creative side in me from the get-go. From a young age, for me, art has always been my escape from the sometimes overwhelming and hard times that reality can bring. In college I found myself studying narrative imagery, specifically fairytales and folktales from around the world. The artwork I was studying almost always held mysteriously magical subject matter. This magical side of art was an endless source of inspiration for me. I learned that most folktales involve archetypes that are universal in their meaning. This led to my study of the occult and magic symbolism in art, history, and book illustrations. I created a self-published tarot deck as my senior thesis. The deck of tarot cards was based on Carl Jung’s dream archetypes. Each card depicted a unique watercolor illustration displaying these archetypes. Once I researched these topics, I could not get enough of the magical symbolism that could be traced back to even my favorite childhood fantasy films and books. It was a trail of cosmic bread crumbs to all the things that inspire my artwork to this day.
Once I graduated, I continued to create art as a freelance artist. I entered the Summer Fair Cincinnati poster art competition. I had the great honor of winning the poster contest. My illustration was used for the 2014 Summer Fair poster. I am still working as a freelance artist working on commissions of all varieties, including book covers and portraits. I create personal work as well that touches on witchcraft, feminism, and the occult. All of my work however grounded in reality, always holds some form of whimsical detail bringing magic to whatever I paint.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There have definitely been some struggles along the way. I believe art in any form as a profession comes with a lot of hardships. Unfortunately, we as a society have a short-sided view of art. I think many see art as a dead-end career that may not amount to much as far as income is concerned. It takes a lot of determination and a nose-to-the-grindstone approach to create a well-rounded career in art. I feel I am constantly learning how to handle my business as an artist to this day. In this day and age, social media is highly saturated with artists and creatives trying to make a name for themselves. I struggle with the need to perform on social media and create constant content. There is a mentality on social media now that pushes for a perpetual stream of posts, imagery, videos, etc. that can be hard to keep up with. On Instagram specifically, it can be a bit discouraging and daunting trying to navigate the complicated algorithms that seem to be stacked against us. Your art can be completely buried in the masses and not get the exposure. Another issue today is knowing where to sell your work without getting ripped off. Many websites that artists use take a high percentage of an artist’s income. The price to sell your work on some sites almost depletes the money you could be making if you simply had your own website to sell from. I think in some instances it’s as if you have to have money to make money as an artist.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I specialize in watercolor illustrations based on witchcraft and magic. I try to make my illustrations tell a story no matter the subject matter. Touching on the occult and specifically, witchcraft is a “taboo” subject to some. I like my clients and viewers to be fascinated by a painting I have done, even if they aren’t necessarily a believer in magic or witchcraft. I believe as a feminist, there is huge power in the symbol of the witch. She appears in stories across the world. There is a reason why, as young girls, we want to dress up as witches for Halloween. Why is that? Women are often put into categories or caveats; never just allowed to ever be ourselves. In the case of the witch, it’s a battle between good or evil. Unfortunately, witches remain one of the only depictions of women in power, whether they are “good witches” or bad “witches.” The dichotomy can be directly linked to the general viewing of women being pigeonholed into categories. Aren’t all humans, no matter their gender, a bit of both? We all have a shadow side. The witch is often misunderstood and persecuted for being a practitioner of alternative healing. She could be portrayed as a young maid using her beauty to seduce, or a haggard old woman doing harm to others. I like to illustrate witchery and magic using that very juxtaposition and strive to make viewers see the beauty in even the darker and misunderstood facets of life. I’m proud that, as an artist, I try to remain true to myself, never making work curated to the masses. I believe that my passion in art sometimes is to set myself apart and paint imagery that isn’t often touched on.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
I have quite a few lovely childhood memories, but one of my favorites would have to be a surprise birthday party I had. I remember my sister so kindly took me to Starbucks (I was turning 15) and we got some coffee drinks, and I got dressed up per her suggestion. I unknowingly thought it would be fun to dress up since it was my birthday, not thinking exactly why she suggested it. When we got back to my house, the front door opened and all my friends were there to surprise me. It was such a shock in the best way! I just remember feeling so loved and I had no clue it was going to happen.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://aquaminttea.wixsite.com/hannahmilllustration
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannahmargaretillustrations/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HannahGraffIllustrations
- Other: https://society6.com/hannahgraff
Image Credits
Hannah Graff
