Oh joy joy joy... lookie what I found! All my favourites in one: birds, owls, cherry blossoms and magnolias. And a heron just for fun. It's pure serendipity. I clearly adore these prints by Hadley Hutton. She hails from Portland, Oregon, and somehow combines a real sweetness with subtle textures and magic details in her pieces. I do appreciate her long, detailed answers... I feel like I'm in her kitchen with a slice of her mum's apple pie and a mug of strong coffee while she spills her secrets...
Who inspires you?
Inspiration is such is an interesting topic for an artist because often we are not even cognizant of inspirations as we work. Artists are often sponges absorbing all kinds of influences, be it a feeling, a word, an image and then regurgitating it into a piece of art. So I find it fascinating to try to name and place these influences. One influence that seems to be a constant is traditional Asian art, for as long as I can remember, I have been influenced by Asian motifs. The first book I purchased for my mother at age 8 was a large Asian pattern book, called "The Grammar of Chinese Ornaments" by Owen Jones. I have spent countless hours poring over the gorgeous pages of this book. Somehow the book managed to make it into my library :) My love affair with Asian design is still going strong. I recently took a trip to Japan where I had the opportunity to see incredible woodblock prints by artist such as Hokusai Katsushola and Ando Hiroshigi. As a printmaker, the craftsmanship, beauty and style inherent in Japanese prints has had a profound influence in my work.
Who are your favourite artists?
I have many favorite contemporary artists who are a source of inspiration. I love to visit their sites, and see their latest masterpieces. Here are a few faves: Brian Cronin, Lisa Congdon, Christopher Silas Neal, Jill Bliss and Gina & Matt.
What gets you in a creative mood?
Creating is like breathing to me. So this question is kind of like asking, "What gets you in the mood to breath?". The obvious answer, I'm always in the mood to breathe and create. It would be a rare day when I'm not in a creative mood. Even in some of my darker hours like when I was bed bound for a year due to debilitating back problem from a sports injury, I found a way to create. During this difficult time, when I couldn't paint I discovered a secondary love - writing. (I primarily write children's books, which I hope to one day have published - that is if I can ever find the time to seek out a literary agent.) I have so many projects skipping through my brain, it is not a question of what gets me in a creative mood, rather how can I get more hours in a day to finish the multitude of projects I'm juggling.
What other creative outlets do you have?
I love to cook and bake. My mom is a force of nature in the kitchen. (I'm not just saying that because she is my mom.) Food is to my Mom what painting is to me. We love to make meals together, and share recipes. One day I would love to produce a cookbook with her. I would do the illo's, and mom the tasty recipes. Another project in the back burner is to complete an agave cookbook; I love agave. My daughter and I can't have sugar. Initially his was a real hardship because I love to bake, but now we are discovering all kinds of lovely substitutes, such as agave.
Prints from top down: In the Tree, Two Barn Owls, Between Bird Print, Bird Rising, Heron Shadow and Dripping Bouquet. hadleyhutton.etsy.com
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