Meet Our New Resident Artist: Hannah Thorpe

We're back with an exciting interview to introduce you to another talented artist who's a key part of the Castle Arts community. Today, we're thrilled for you to meet Hannah Thorpe, our newest resident artist and a vital member of the team developing our brand-new course offering that's currently in the works.

Hannah is a versatile artist specializing in landscape, wildlife, pet portraits, and illustrated maps, all from her base in Northumberland, UK. But she's not just a fantastic artist - she'll also be one of your tutors when our new courses launch, ready to share her expertise, help you learn new techniques, and refine your skills.

Can you tell us about your artistic journey and what inspired you to become an artist?

Yes – it's an unusual one! I’ve always loved art and had taken odd commissions and sold bits and pieces over the years, but I was also pretty academic and I chose to become a dentist. I thought I could combine working with my hands with science and helping people.

I worked in the NHS for 20-odd years, mainly in special care dentistry, but the “pull” to paint became stronger and stronger – I used to drive to work thinking, “I hate my job, I need to paint” every day. Then a series of chance circumstances meant I finally decided to leave dentistry in 2017. It took me a year or so to rally myself, do some volunteering, spend time with my (then) small children and put lots of hours in painting and drawing, and then I went full time as a freelance artist in 2019.

In terms of inspiration, I think it’s just always been there: I’ve always taken photographs for reference, always thought, “That'd make a great painting”. When I tested the waters and launched an arty Facebook page, I was gobsmacked that I sold several pieces straight away and suddenly I realized that this might actually be something that I could do as a “job”.

What's your creative process like? Do you follow a specific routine or ritual when creating art?

I do a lot more hours than people expect as an artist – there's no lying in bed, waiting for inspiration to strike for me. I have “off” days, I guess, but I generally find that once I put pencil or paint to paper, it starts to flow. I like to start my day with being outdoors early – I need to move and get daylight before I start work so I walk or run (not very well!) and take hundreds of photographs of things that inspire me – landscapes, nature, details in leaves, cobwebs, that sort of thing. Then I get to work. I break for lunch and sometimes to retrieve a teenager from somewhere after school, but often I work very late if I’m in the zone, or really early if I can’t wait to get started.

Occasionally, commission deadlines are tight and I put in 12-hour days – it all just depends. I’m not very good at switching off, but I don’t lack inspiration or motivation! In terms of process, I’m methodical – paintings and drawings get built up in layers. I try to see shapes and not hyperfocus early on detail – that way you keep the overall composition of the painting right.

Can you tell us about a project you've worked on that you’re particularly proud of?

Two projects spring to mind: firstly, I had a portrait included in the Tom Croft “Portraits for NHS Heroes” book, which honored NHS staff working on the frontline at the height of the pandemic. It was a special privilege, especially for an early-career artist – and not a portrait painter at that – to be included in something that felt like a really important record of social history.

Secondly, I recently worked on a social action project with a community group, to produce a large scale (and slightly bonkers) collaborative map which expressed their aspirations for social and economic change in their local area. The map is heading out on tour.

Who are some artists, past or present, that you admire, and how have they influenced your work?

I love Henry Moore’s work – I had a once-in-a-lifetime private view of some of his stored sculptures in a warehouse in London as a teenager and the thrill of being up close with all these weird and wonderful forms under protective layers was something I’ll never forget. But his drawings are so sensitive and the rows and rows of maquettes (tiny models) at the Henry Moore foundation fascinate me, and seeing his huge bronzes out in the landscape blows me away every time. I just want to touch them!

I love Dame Laura Knight’s work – the light, the Cornish landscape (which I know very well), and her amazing war paintings. I love Van Gogh’s use of color – those blues, especially! Lucian Freud’s figurative work blows me away. The fact he doesn’t shy away from a warts-and-all depiction of the human body and does it in a sometimes shockingly-accurate, but painterly, way really interests me.

I love the way that Jenny Aitken (a contemporary UK-based painter) depicts light so effortlessly and Michelle Lucking (a British pastel painter) represents swimmers in water. Too many to name. I’m like an art magpie – I guess you absorb how others do it and try to bring bits of it to your work. I live in hope!

If you could have created any piece of art, which one would it be and why?

Ohhhh...so many. “Flaming June” (Frederic Leighton) - those oranges are sublime. Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” - mainly because I’d love to see people lining up in front of my work to get a selfie with it!! “The Arnolfini Portrait” - I’ve always been strangely captivated by it. I could go on!

What’s your favorite gallery or exhibition you’ve ever visited?

I cried at Monet’s Water Lilies despite the fact I’ve seen them before, I was blown away by the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, and I saw an amazing exhibition at the Laing (Newcastle) post-pandemic which featured Laura Knight and Gwen John and other female painters. But my absolute favorite gallery is the Barbara Hepworth museum in St Ives. That place is magical - in her house, with her tactile work in the subtropical gardens, the sound of the sea. I’m there now...

Would you say you’re a tidy or messy artist?

Tidy. I blame dentistry! I mean, I have my messy moments and, actually, my studio’s a tip today, but generally I paint in a fairly controlled way. The only place it goes is on me, so I do don a boiler suit for my acrylic painting.

What do you wish you were better at in art?

Portraits. I’m really interested in them. I’m currently brushing up(!) on my life drawing skills at a local class but portraiture is a whole different game. I’m very hit and miss – I often joke that my portraits are usually close but no cigar. There’s something really strange that happens when I paint a face – my normal process of breaking something down into shapes gets overridden by my brain shouting “face”. I did one self-portrait I’m really proud of but no one was more surprised than me that it actually looked like me!

Have you ever suffered from artist’s block?

Rarely, if I’m honest. I’ve got all these years of pent-up paintings trying to get out all at once. Sometimes it’s more a question of trying to quiet my brain and let it flow! I love a commission for focus but there are times where I’ve finished a big commission and I find myself dancing round the studio, struggling to sit down to start. Once I’ve started, it comes naturally. Getting outdoors and moving definitely helps me to make sense of some of the creative ideas in my head.

What advice would you give to aspiring artists who are just starting their creative journeys?

I’m still early days in my art career so this is pretty fresh for me. Firstly, lose the fear and do it anyway. Don’t listen to naysayers!

Network – learn from others’ experiences, absorb their advice, look out for opportunities. It’s a lonely life as an artist if you don’t.

Prepare to take knockbacks on the chin – there will be plenty of them and you don’t have to let them get to you: learn from them, dust yourself down, and keep going. Some folk are going to love your stuff; others not so much so don’t try to appeal to everyone and keep following your passion.

Be willing to have several strings to your bow – it's a tough old market. Say yes to as many projects as possible – you never know what it’ll lead to. But equally, be comfortable with saying no to those that you think won’t bring you any joy.

Excited to learn more from Hannah? Join Castle Club for exclusive updates and be among the first to access our courses when they launch.