Meet Hannah Bladh | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Hannah Bladh and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hannah, why did you pursue a creative career?
I’ve always loved art, especially painting. I grew up in a really artistic home- my parents have always been really supportive of my art, and they never instilled in me the “starving artist” trope. I loved doing it, and I was pretty good at it, so it always felt like a clear path to me.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I paint a lot of landscapes. In my art I like to romanticize ordinary places and things. I have an ability to see the beauty all around me-even filling up at the gas station or loading my car in the Walmart parking lot. I try to focus on the joyful and beautiful moments in everyday life-capturing a sunset on the way to the grocery store or appreciating the way the light is hitting the car wash sign. It’s all in effort to be more present, to show gratitude for my little life exactly how it is right now. So, typically my work is landscapes and still life of ordinary life moments. Something that I’m really proud of is a project that I did this year- I painted a 4×4 painting every day for 100 days. (Well, every day but Sundays. I took one day off a week to keep sane.) My husband Chaz and I moved here in December of 2020 and everything was new to me. So I wanted to make this project about getting to know where we live and making it feel like home. I either painted from life or did it from my own photo references, so it was a unique view of around town through my eyes.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would take them downtown to Discovery Green and walk around the city a little. I would also check out Old Town Tomball, probably on a Saturday so we can go to the farmer’s market. Depending on what kind of food they like I’d maybe take them to El Norteno taco truck, or Italian Cafe, or Koohinoor restaurant.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My parents are a big part of my success and where I am in life. They always encouraged me to go for what I want, and to work hard to develop my skills. They continue to support me in my endeavors. I’m so grateful! Chaz, my husband, is amazing, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without him. He helps me when technology really stumps me, he listens to my thousands of ideas, and helps me carry out the good ones. He gives me encouragement when I am being too hard on myself. I also am so grateful for all the faculty and students at BYU-Idaho, where I got my degree. I learned so much about painting, about the art world, about the power of group critique, and about life in general. I also have learned so much from Cathy Heller and her podcast: Don’t Keep Your Dayjob, and Andy J Pizza, as I listened to The Creative Pep Talk Podcast. Those are podcasts that I never miss an episode of because they’re so good!

Website: hannahbladhfineart.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannahbladh_art/