Thought provoking subjects

Blog 27.3.26

It all began in my little art studio open to passers by, situated on Porlock Weir, West Somerset- Exmoor Wildlife, Hannah Norman Drawings. My photo realist style of portraits grew into a series that made the smallest of creatures the main event, trying to accentuate the important ones and how vital they are in the circle of life, aka the eco system. 

Fox & Spider, 2024, Oil based pencil, Hannah Norman Ba Hons

The various dogs and Exmoor wildlife is a successful series that customers and clients have fallen in love with and my prints and originals are now all over the world.

Almighty Snail, 2025, Oil based pencil, Hannah Norman Ba Hons

Then my next level challenge was to blow up the important ones, go big or go home. So I drew a huge slimy snail, and it was my quickest sale to date, having only been on the wall for 3 hours before it sold.

The ecosystem is reliant on the tiniest of creatures, so to elevate their status within my artwork means I am putting them at the forefront and making them the star of the show again. Wildlife portraits of big cats and large status mammals are powerful and sell yes, but the insects need us to appreciate that without them we couldn't breathe, let alone have a colourful planet. As The great Sir David Attenborough states “Every single species, from the smallest microbe to the largest whale, has its place.” Read my next post to see where this journey has led me.

Young Artists Drawing classes

In 2025 I started Drawing classes for children, there is nothing like this in our area in West Somerset, and I was being approached constantly in my art studio about teaching children. They would be visiting on holiday and would return year after year to see what I was working on and tell me how their art work or school projects were going.

So my own children of a similar age at home were of course not wanting any advise from me, or their dad whom has a degree in Animation and Illustration, would always seek to Youtube for a drawing tutorial. Youtube is swamped with step by step tutorials, great, if you want to learn how to draw specific things or some massive cartoon eyes on everything going. But I wanted to teach them in a way I wish I had been taught, then I would have been able to fast track my career and I am sure I would have started 15 years earliar than I did.

Being taught by a 'successful' professional artist shows them they can do it too. But the main thing I teach is that 'your style is the right style' and always draw what excites you, YouTube cant teach that. Confidence, encouragement and few tips and tricks along the way means I am over a year in and have been into schools, colleges, careers days, after school clubs and taken art lessons within schools. I even do the odd sip and paint which is more about the cocktails with the adults, but it has inspired non the less! But I have never lost focus on my own career, producing at least two pieces a week, either commissions or for the studio, and while I have been teaching and having to explain how I do things, it has made me a better artist, win win.