Though Brit Hansen came from a lineage of artists, she never quite felt like that was to be her career path. The universe had other plans. And through a series of serendipitous interventions, Brit did end up an artist and a bit of a trailblazer.
Before this happened, however, Brit thought she might end up in math or science. It wasn’t until college that she took her first art class and fell in love. It was during that time that she found her way to block printing––an art form she took to immediately. Following college, however, she became a professional photographer, but block printing remained a creative outlet for many years. Then, life intervened.
While pregnant with her first child, Brit was assigned to bed rest. And the unexpected turn led her back to block printing and eventually to a form of art that was deeply fulfilling to her. Not only that, it was completely unique to her as well.
Through block printing, Brit came to realize it was actually the carving she enjoyed. Not so much the printing. So, she began carving anything she could get her hands on––wood, wax, clay, etc. Then a lightbulb went off. Could she carve acrylic paint? It was too tempting to ignore.
Brit began layering acrylic paint and then slowly carving it away to reveal the design she wanted to portray. After much trial and error, she got it to work. The result was sculpture-like. The reliefs she creates are rich with texture, color and an elegant interplay between light and shadow––and they’re completely unique to Brit.
Q&A with Brit Hansen
When did you know art was your calling?
It wasn’t until college. I never really considered myself an artist. I was always intimidated by art. My great-grandma was an artist. My grandma is an artist and my dad is an artist. So, being in a family of artists, it was a little intimidating finding what would fit for me.
So, I always kind of went away from art and more towards science and math. It wasn’t until college that I took art classes for fun and fell in love with it, and then realized that I could be an artist, but in my own way and find my own mediums that I really connected with. That’s when I started carving. I did block printing and fell in love with carving. My great-grandma was a ceramicist, my grandma is a painter, my dad’s a jeweler, and now I’m a carver.
What do you love most about the creative process?
My process is very meditative. I have a very chaotic brain, so being able to sit and just carve totally clears my head. It’s therapeutic and I really love the process of it. And being a creative, I have to do things with my hands. It’s in my DNA, so it fulfills that calling.
How did you develop your unique style?
I was block printing before. I had done block printing in college then took a break from it for a little while. I was working as a photographer until I was put on bedrest with my first child and couldn’t photograph anything. I couldn’t do much just in bed. So my husband brought out all of my block printing stuff for me to also keep my mind free of all the worries of what was going on with my baby. So, I was able to just draw and carve and work on printing.
After that, it’s all I wanted to do. I felt like that’s when I really found my voice and what I love to create. I started to develop my style from there and just never looked back. I went full-time block printing and then after doing that for a few years, I realized that the carving part was really where it was at for me. I loved the carving and I didn’t like the printing part as much.
That’s when I started carving everything. I was carving wood and wax and clay. Then that got me thinking…I wonder if I could carve paint? It already has the color there and paint is very durable. And I got it to work!
How do you create your carved pieces?
Pieces get anywhere from about 40 to a 100 coats of acrylic paint. After layering up all of the colors that I want for the design, which takes about four to six weeks, I then start carving it down. It’s a lot of planning and thinking about how’s it going to look as a relief, like sculpting the paint. What colors are going to be deepest? What’s going to stand out? It’s a relief, so it’s minimal, but it makes a big difference with casting that little bit of shadow.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of what you do?
It’s the most amazing career. I still pinch myself. I can’t believe I’m an artist. There are some days where you might hit a low and then it hits me, “I’m an artist for a living! How is that real life?” I’m so grateful for it. I’m so grateful that I get to not only create things that I love and that are special to me, that I connect with, but then other people find connection to them as well. That I get to bring beauty and peace to other people’s homes. When people come in and say, “I just love the feeling in your space. It’s so peaceful.” That’s what I want to convey. So, I’m really, really grateful for that.
What brought you to the Celebration of Fine Art?
I had heard about the Celebration of Fine Art for many years. I attended when I was in college and I’ve had friends in the show. It had come up a few times, but I had babies and for a while, I felt like I couldn’t commit to 10 weeks away from my kids. But it kept coming up. Finally, I was like, “Ok universe. I get it. I have to do this show.”
My family has been so amazing to support me and my dreams. Getting to be here has been the most amazing experience. Not only with connecting with art lovers, but the artists, I know that just in the three months that I’ve been here, the things that I’ve learned for my business and my art and how much it’s going to accelerate and grow is unbelievable. Just little takeaways from other artists and the creativity in the tent is unbelievable. I can’t wait to see where this takes my career and my artwork and what I’m able to do.