Hannah Parrett

“For a while I have been wanting to explore a new process that engaged observational painting of landscape and outside environments as a way to mourn and be present with the changing climate. Working as a part-time faculty member at Ohio State University for the past two years, I found my practice itself restricted by fast turn arounds for exhibition deadlines, other work affiliated with the school, and the pressure of creating work that is application ready. Hambidge offered me the space to fail. For the first time in two years I found myself bursting with ideas. I had that rare and fantastic feeling that I was ready to embrace the unknown. It was an extremely liberating experience to be in a space that didn't ask anything of me; a space that welcomed rest, experimentation, and contemplation. This solitude also allowed me to work through trauma from the past, and created the space to heal through thinking, writing, and making. I found the tension slowly releasing from my body like the steam escaping a pressure cooker. I am coming out of this experience clear headed and amazingly, optimistic.”

– Hannah Parrett, Ohio, Painting and Drawing