We’ve been carrying the amazingly imaginative and colorful paintings of Hope Thier for the past year and a half and are completely inspired by them! Super excited to have her as our featured maker this August – read more below about her process and how sometimes dinos go perfectly with beer 😉
Tell us a bit about yourself:
Hello! I’m Hope! I was born and raised briefly in Oklahoma City, OK, and then grew up in Moorhead, MN. I joke that the heat never left me, because I absolutely love hot summers and warm weather. Can’t get enough of the lake life! I have moved around a bit throughout the Midwest, and I currently reside in Fort Dodge, IA. I love to go exploring, hiking, running, camping, and enjoy photographing those adventures!
Describe your handmade business:
I make colorful mixed media paintings and drawings, and have recently branched out into jewelry. “The Dinosaur Collection” and the “Adopted Family Series” are two series I have been focusing on recently.
What is one of your most favorite items you have made?
I love making mixed media paintings on wood panels! Sometimes I dive right in, and just use my hand or surrounding items, instead of a paint brush.
What are your most essential tools?
Definitely Faber-Castell india ink pens, acrylic paints, and a camera.
Tell us about the process of your paintings?
I start with a wood panel, and intuitively add acrylic paints, oil pastels, pencils, soft pastels, and spray paint. Sometimes I use handmade stencils, fabrics, and other materials for designs. I let that dry, and add the image. Images are drawn on transparent paper and cut out. I typically work in batches. Once the paint is dry, I start to pair drawings with the painted wood panels, adhere them to it, and seal the panel. Puff paint is the last layer added, and adds contrast to the drawing and the overall work.
What is one of your favorite combos of animals or objects you have had on a painting?
My favorite combo has been the Happy-Go-Lucky Tipsy Velociraptor with Beer. I love seeing people relate to it, and I also love beer. Cheers!!
What is a word that best describes you?
Shenanigans
What advice would you have given yourself 5 years ago?
Take more business/marketing classes.
Any super random tidbit about yourselves?!
My brother and I hitchhiked our way around Iceland a few years ago, and it transformed how I viewed my work. I don’t think my work will ever stop evolving, good or bad, but it became free after that trip.
Website/etsy you’d want us to share:
Website: www.hopethier.com
Instagram: @hopethier
Thank you for sharing the process behind your work and some sneak peeks, Hope!