Inside the Artist’s Studio is Artful Living’s exclusive look into the innovative, intimate lifestyles of creatives. The studio is a place of curating, of inspiring, of creating. These distinctive spaces play an essential role in the artist’s process and are a direct reflection of the personality and attention to detail that go into each work of art.
Eric Hanson is a prolific illustrator whose work has appeared in such publications as Rolling Stone, The New Yorker and Vanity Fair. His expressive, clever compositions and vast industry knowledge have established him as a notable creative and earned him top-tier accolades within the design community.
How would you describe your studio?
I have a studio in a room upstairs, but the whole house is my studio. In the summer, I often work on the porch or out in the garden. Or I could just as well be working on something while in a café or a bakery.
The upstairs room where I used to spend my days now functions mostly as an archive for all the art on paper I’ve generated over the years. I keep a lot of my larger art books and reference material there. I associate this space with painting. I still paint some of my art, but most of it is created these days with ordinary No. 2 pencil and plain white paper, which I do anywhere I like.
I do most of my art in an armchair in my living room. It’s been this way for the past 10 years or so. My latest “innovation” has been a return to using ballpoint pen. I used to use ballpoint when I was a student drawing during class lectures. I find its blots and imperfections interesting. Like pencil, it’s quick, like thinking directly onto the paper.
How long have you been in this space?
25 years.
What are your studio must-haves?
My MacBook Pro. Scanner. Broadband. A comfortable chair. A lamp. Books. I spread books and reference material out on a chair next to the one I’m sitting in.
How does this space foster creativity?
I can take my drawing board and paper anywhere. The living room is my favorite creative space because I am free of distractions. I have my books on the shelves along the wall — old books full of photographs and architecture and art by artists I get stimulation and ideas from. It’s a pleasant room that doesn’t limit itself to work, so I don’t restrict my work to a strict schedule.
I work anytime an idea occurs to me or a deadline requires. I do art most weekends. When I wake up during the night, I’ll often spend a while thinking of how to create something, visualizing an idea or a process. Dickens used to work on his novels in the sitting room while friends were enjoying a party. I don’t work when we have guests over, but I’ve been able to work with family commotion going on around me. There’s less of that with my kids grown, which may be why I don’t hide up in the old studio as much. When my son was little, he was playing at a friend’s house and asked him where his dad was. His friend said he was at work. My son looked up at the ceiling and asked, “Which room?”
What’s the best part of having a studio in Minneapolis?
Our house is 15 minutes from downtown Minneapolis, but my window looks out on Lake Harriet. I can walk down the block to the library or for coffee or lunch. There are five bookstores a few minutes away by car — no freeway driving necessary. I did an artist-in-residence at Minneapolis Institute of Art a few years ago; MIA’s one of three major art museums located close by. I’ve taught and lectured at Minneapolis College of Art and Design, which is adjacent to MIA.
Also, Minneapolis is a great design and advertising city. Lots of excellent firms and agencies are based here. Many of my clients are located elsewhere, but being an illustrator based in Minneapolis gives me some credibility. If I’m bored with Minneapolis, St. Paul is next door.
