First Impressions: Hope Doe
Having a stand-up row with her paint helps this artist to master her media
It’s good to shout at your paints!
Where did you grow up and how has this influenced your art?
When I was really young, I moved around a lot. Most of the places that I lived in were pretty rural, so I spent a great deal of my childhood outside. I used to hide in tall grasses or cornfields and pretend I was some predator stalking my prey. I had the habit of catching frogs, turtles and sometimes snakes, talk to them a little, and release them. I found a lot of comfort in the natural world.
Now, as my work is growing and I’m finding out more about myself, I think of these majestic times and try to put that same sense of wonder and mystery that I felt as a child into every piece of art that I do.
What, outside of art, has most influenced your artwork through the years?
Nature is the one thing that I’ve always been passionate about. It’s beautiful and terrifying. It gives life and takes it away without mercy.
Does one person stand out as being helpful during your early years?
No – there are a handful of people who are all connected and have helped me to get to where I am today. Each one of them is so very important that I couldn’t choose just one person to talk about.
What was your first paid commission, and does it stand as a representation of your talent?
To be honest, I haven’t had a paid commission yet. I’m currently taking steps to get myself into the freelance scene. However, the first painting I ever sold is one of my favourites that I have done. The painting’s title is Purgatory, and it was a pivotal point towards the direction I want to go with my art.
What’s the last piece you finished, and how do the two differ?
The last piece I finished has a lot of similarities. Purgatory is a painting of a girl with a candle walking aimlessly in tall grass. She’s lost and not sure where she is or where she’s going. But the last piece I finished is a girl in leaves, capturing a bird with a cat’s cradle. Purgatory was just letting things be as they are, while in this new painting (no title yet), the girl is taking control.
What are your painting rituals?
Painting starts with me getting ready for battle. I pray to the paint gods of old. Then put on my paint-smeared battle skirt. I face my opponent, my in-progress piece of art, and I yell at it until it submits to my will. After all that, I whistle a little tune and begin.
What advice would you give to your younger self to aid you on the way?
Don’t worry about figuring where your life should be right away. Enjoy the experiences that you’re having now, because they’ll define you later in life.
Is your art evolving? What’s the most recent experiment that you’ve made?
Yes, I have a fear of standing still. I feel that if I’m not struggling with something, then it won’t be worth finishing. Right now, I’m trying to figure out liquid acrylics. We fight a lot, but I hope to be good friends soon.
I face my opponent, my in-progress art, and I yell at it until it submits to my will
Hope is an American artist who buries herself in the countryside of Japan. Her work has a strong sense of narrative and blends humanity with nature. See more of her art at www.heartswithumbrellas.com.