Hannah Cole

Hannah was born and grew up in a small hamlet in rural North Devon. After graduating with a BA Hons in illustration from the University of Brighton in 1994, she went on to become a freelance illustrator.

In 2001, she exhibited paintings for the first time as part of the Brighton Open House exhibition. This has led to increasing amounts of exhibition work. Currently represented by four galleries, she exhibits regularly in London, as well as in galleries across the south of England. She is now based in central Brighton where she works from a studio in the North Lanes.

The paintings are often done from memory. They are produced instinctively, starting with large areas of colour and building up of layers. She regularly pays visits to the West Country where many of the harbour scenes are based, and has more recently been producing local landscapes of the South Downs. A painting is not always of a particular place and aims more to capture elements. With a background in textiles, she has maintained an interest in colour and mark making rather than trying to create an accurate portrayal of a place.

Hannah has maintained a long affinity with the countryside and landscape, as a child she spent a year living in Morocco, the memories of which can also influence her work.