my story
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Ever since I was a kid, I've had an appreciation for art and design. My K-12 education was primarily through homeschooling which gifted me the free time to explore the "odds and ends" box in the basement and create anything from mermaid costumes to up-cycled empty tissue box Beanie Baby hotels. So I guess you can say I've always had the motivation to make something new from the ordinary.
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My love for hand lettering began in middle school. While many public schools removed the cursive writing portion of their curriculum, I actively chose to add a cursive/calligraphy course. My first official "commission" was for my older sister's wedding when I volunteered to use my writing skills to address invites, make reception name cards, and design wedding signage. My childhood BFF/cousin also followed suit and I made quote and verse decor for her wedding, which has led to more opportunities to make decor for friends' weddings. I have also kept up my creative lettering skills through bullet journaling, which I started in 2017 and continue to use as an organizational tool today.
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I started doing more detailed acrylic paintings during my undergrad as a way to cope with anxiety and depression and to give me a break from the stress of engineering coursework. The need for an artistic outlet continued as I moved into grad school. I discovered pour painting and resin art through social media and am still fully exploring the potential of these mediums.
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Those of you who know me personally know that I left grad school without my PhD. It was a hard decision to make, I felt like a quitter. I believe minorities not only belong in STEM, but that we add vital insight that would otherwise be left unnoticed in such an absolutely essential field. What kind of example was I setting by not getting to the highest possible level as a female engineer? But along with a myriad of health issues and other external factors, the grad school environment was toxic and a PhD just wasn't in my path. I had done enough classwork/research to yeet out with my master's and I've since learned to see that I can make just as much, if not more, of an impact in this crossover world of art and science.
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I still use my materials engineering knowledge to maintain a safe workspace (especially when working with resin) and to try new mediums and additives (I have a background in polymers and a LOT of art supplies are just types of polymers). I am constantly looking up properties and contents of the materials I work with to see how I can replace or improve upon them - I enjoy this research almost as much as the art-making itself. I started a blog to organize my research, I figure if I had these questions, someone else might also be wondering. I hope you'll find my posts as a valuable resource to bridge the technical and artistic worlds.
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After covid-19 forever changed life as we knew it, I decided to start this online site to showcase and sell my work as a freelance artist. My muses are often emotions or nature and my favorite mediums are acrylic and resin. But I am always up for a new challenge so you may see I experiment in many different areas.
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I have a very perfectionist mindset. If you are anything like me and haven't tried a certain kind of art yet because you are scared you won't be great at it from the start, I want to tell you this: just try it without any expectations for yourself other than having fun. That is how I got started and I am so happy I did. You might just find it makes you happy too!
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xoxo, Han
