Hannah Friel is a resin and mixed media artist based in Scottsdale, Arizona known for creating ethereal works of art that resemble nature. Her first foray into the world of art began as a child watching her grandmother paint with watercolors. Almost immediately, she was drawn to the mess of an artist’s studio and the sight of sweeping colors, splattered paint and worn paint brushes.
During her training in college, Hannah focused on honing the basics of oil and acrylics, and it wasn’t long until she became fascinated by contemporary abstract art. This coincided with the experimenting she was doing with auto body polyurethane paint thinners, and eventually she created her own one-of-a-kind technique. Today, her works are inspired by natural phenomena such as the ocean, beautiful slabs of rock and granite, and outer space.
“I am continually innovating and creating new techniques as I learn new things and get ideas from each piece I create,” says Hannah. “This year is extra special because I will be debuting brand new works in canvas, in addition to my resin artwork.”
With visitors and collectors drawn to her array of designs, colors and sizes, Hannah strives to continually evolve and grow as an artist.
“I love creating beautiful works of art that enhance an entire home from an interior design perspective,” she says. “I love seeing my work make a room come alive and accentuate everything in the space, from the furniture to the decor. Most of all, I love seeing my clients’ reactions when they see their space transform before their eyes.”
This feeling of awe is similar to the one Hannah experiences when seeing what her fellow Celebration of Fine Art artists bring to the show every January.
“Being around 100 artists from all over is one of the most inspiring experiences,” she says. “Not only do you get to learn from seeing the diverse techniques and artwork around the tent, you also get to know these artists very well. Everyone is so willing to help and answer questions or share new ideas. Hearing different artists perspectives and ideas has taught me so much more than I could ever imagine.”
Artist Quick Takes:
Favorite artist? I don’t have a favorite but I would say all artists are inspiring to me because each has such a unique vision that I love to learn from.
Music/musician that inspires you? It honestly depends on my mood and how I’m feeling that day. One day I could be blasting hip hop/rap in my studio and the next I could be playing classical music. I’m all over the map.
Favorite place to travel? Anywhere in the Caribbean! Nothing beats the crystal clear turquoise oceans there.
Favorite quote? “Decide what kind of life that you actually want, and then say no to everything that isn’t that.”
If you weren’t an artist, what do you think you’d be doing? I’d be doing something else creative, maybe starting my own makeup line.
What’s one thing you’d like people to take away from your art? I want my artwork to bring joy to people and elicit positive emotions. The feeling you get when you see something you love every day is the best and I want to bring that feeling to people when they see my artwork.