Today we’d like to introduce you to Estes Hansen.
Hi Estes, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My first introduction to making art, as more than a hobby, was when I was introduced to glass art. At the time, I was eighteen years old, and I instantly fell in love with the process and the possibilities of the medium. Fast forward, and I now own and operate a glass art business in which I design and hand-blown every piece myself. Around three years into the business, my mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and this had a huge effect on my mindset in the studio. Most pieces began to break either while I was working on them or in the kiln, and I became extremely frustrated with the medium. My best friend was a painter, and most days would come and paint in my studio while I blew glass. He would be having the best time, enjoying every second of the process, and I was inspired by the joy painting brought him. After my mother passed, my father quickly moved out of my childhood home. The house was empty for the last two weeks, but I was not ready to move out. I stayed there alone with an air mattress, one fork, one knife, and one pan. I was sad, but I remembered the joy that painting brought my friend. I drove to an art store and bought one large canvas, a few brushes, and 5 colors. When I returned home, I began to paint parts of the painting in each room of the house, reminiscing on all the memories I had with my mother there. Those five days of painting were the happiest and most comforting days I had at that time, and now I can’t imagine a life without them. At around the two-year mark of painting, I began posting my works on Instagram. As time went on, I began to realize there were people out there who had a very similar experience to mine and resonated with the work. It has brought me a new sense of community that I am very grateful for.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I did not originally set out to be a professional painter. I just had ideas and thoughts that I wanted to bring a visual aspect to, and painting helped me do that. I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily been a smooth road to get where I am today; however, I will say I think Glassblowing better prepared me to be able to handle the ups and downs of being a professional artist. Most of my struggles have been internal, whether that has been self-doubt, imposter syndrome, or being scared of judgment. I started out releasing the work anonymously because I was not ready to handle any negative judgment, and I thought if I detached myself from the work, when that judgment came It wouldn’t affect me as much. As time went on, I began to build my own confidence back and decided I no longer wanted to release the work anonymously. With that said, I still struggle with self-doubt and imposter syndrome daily. Often wondering if I will be able to support myself as an artist or if it is just a pipe dream that I should grow up from and get a job. I think a level of self-doubt is normal as an artist, and for me, it personally pushes me to do better, but I don’t think you can let those thoughts control you or your work. It’s not good for your mental health. You can’t be scared to fail or mess up, which is easier said than done, but the lessons that come from these mistakes or failures are the most valuable part of the whole process for me. You can’t learn or grow without mistakes and failures. If everything came out perfectly every time, it would leave nothing to push yourself and nothing to strive for.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I primarily work with Acrylic paint on canvas. My first body of work mainly focused on themes of a lost sense of belonging, mental health struggles, and the passing of my mother. Creating work inspired by these themes helped me cope and process what I was struggling with; it was a very effective form of therapy for me. After creating over thirty paintings and many written stories from this place, I finally feel ready to move on to the next stage of my practice. I don’t want my work to always be created from a place of sadness, and I look forward to creating work from a place of happiness. I pull inspiration from the visual language of vintage advertisements and traditional sign painting. I am fascinated with typography and the art of traditional-style tattoos. I would say I am best known for the simplicity that surrounds my work and my boxer figure that is present in almost all my visual pieces. I am most proud of creating works that others can relate to and hopefully find a sense of piece from knowing that they are not alone in their struggles. I think it is important to have a sense of community when facing struggles that most humans will experience in their lives, and knowing you are not alone.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
The most important lesson I have learned along this journey is that life as artist and your practice will not always be an upward trajectory. There will be months where you don’t feel like creating, months that you don’t sell any work, months, and months where giving up seems easier then pushing forward. Self-doubt is normal as artist and all of your favorite creatives have experienced it. You can’t create work for others or you will end hating your practice. You must create work that you want to regardless of how it will be perceived.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.esteshansen.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/esteshansen/
