Elizabeth Sue Hanna

Elizabeth Sue Hanna Biography

I am 70 years young and started creating after retirement, I was lost for several years but I wanted to find my propose in life, I found a pleasant plateau on my climb and stopped to smell the flowers and a different view came to mind, it wasn't about me, it was about what I could give. 

The inspiration for my artwork came from a Dutch artist by the name of M.C. Escher, I was mesmerized when saw some of his works that revolved around optical illusions with mathematical grids, I wanted to turn the optical illusion of the 3 dimension into reality so I experimented with organic matters and binders to create this 3rd dimension. I realized that this could be the beginnings of a new genre.

While visiting Gore Park to photograph the fountain I noticed a few decrepit buildings near the corner of King and James St., curiosity got the better of me and I picked up a copy of “Vanished” a local history book on buildings that have been demolished in Hamilton, which took me on an quest to resurrect the beautiful architecture that has vanished. The streetscape of Gore Park was my first creation in the series Hamilton’s Historic Landmarks. I had to rethink traditional painting techniques to achieve the 3D effect. Each picture presents its own unique challenges using the mixed mediums. For each piece in my series of Hamilton’s Historic Landmarks, I researched the history to preserve the integrity of the architectural style of its day. I find it fascinating to discover the hidden details in researching my next subject and learn about our diverse history.