Joshua Hansen

I paint not because I love art, but rather my love of the west coast drives me to try and experience it in a more intimate way, to try rendering it in all it's moods. My hope is that people come to the conclusion that by looking at my work and reading my writings that I know what I paint. Whether it be Columbian blacktail deer, wild seascapes, a misty cove, or commercial fishing boats. I've spent a lot of time studying, viewing, and researching the creatures I love to paint, I've grown up around or on fish boats, or in angry seas in a boat or surfboard.

My mother encouraged me to pursue drawing as a young boy,I enjoyed drawing animals and nature. In my late teens I taught myself to paint in acrylics but quit soon after starting because it was difficult. After many years of running from painting and trying to find myself in other creative ways which never really felt right, I began to feel so moved by nature and the place I call home, I began to paint again, this time it stuck and I was determined to use my work for salmon and wildlife conservation.

My biggest creative influences would absolutely be the ocean, my family history, wildlife and the seasons. Ever changing and always inspiring. The coast is teeming with life, be it under the water, in the air, or in our old forests. I never run out of ideas to paint, but rather choosing which idea to pursue seems to be my biggest challenge.

What surprises me most about my work is how I started painting because I love the west coast, and by painting it, it's caused me to love it more.