ABOUT THE ARTIST
HANNAH COLEY
Art has never been a choice for me. From the time I was young, creating was simply how I understood the world and is a language I spoke before I had words for what I felt. Across watercolor, gouache, acrylic, oils, and many other mediums, I have spent my life learning to translate the interior landscape into something visible, something others can step into and recognize as their own.
My recent work emerges from a significant personal transition which made me sit with uncertainty, to trust the unknown, and to find beauty in the in-between. The recurring figure in my paintings is always seen from behind, always facing something vast, but is not a subject to be observed. She is an invitation. I want the viewer to inhabit her stillness, to feel what it means to stand at the edge of something and choose to remain open.
Nature is my primary language. Moonlit skies, enchanted forests, luminous horizons, and snow-quieted mountains carry the emotional weight that ordinary speech cannot. I work with metallic accents of gold and silver, not for decoration, but because some moments genuinely shimmer. Some thresholds catch the light.
Each piece is a document of becoming. The titles are not afterthoughts; they are the heartbeat of the work — Embracing Uncertainty, Walk and the Way Shall Appear, Peaceful Endings Become Exciting Beginnings. These are not just paintings. They are the quiet, courageous conversation I have been having with myself, offered outward, in the hope that they might meet something true in you.
If you are interested in purchasing one of my paintings, please reach out to me via email at hirehannahcoley@gmail.com.
Landscape Series
Finding escape and peace through nature. Nature can be a place to find healing by grounding yourself in the natural beauty around you.
"Lavender Bliss"
May 2026
Medium: Gouache on cold-pressed acid-free watercolor paper
Size: 5"x7"
Status: Available
This piece was inspired by a peaceful mountain escape that is meant to transport the viewer to a lavender field with a serene mountainous surrounding.
I created this piece while I was finding stillness and peace during my hiatus from the corporate world.
"Snowy Escape"
May 2026
Medium: Watercolor on hot-pressed acid-free watercolor paper
Size: 5"x7"
Status: Available
This piece was inspired by a my backcountry snowboarding adventures in Vail. My husband and I love to chase each other through the trees in the back bowls. One of my favorite things to do is to find a quiet spot where I am all alone and take in the silence. The snow dampens all the sound around me and I love to stare up at all the snow-covered trees. Even in the busiest moments in life, snowboarding has always provided an escape for me. This piece allows anyone that views it to escape into the winter wonderland even in the middle of summer.
"Floating In Peace"
June 2026
Medium: Gouache on cold-pressed acid-free watercolor paper
Size: 5"x7"
Status: Available
This piece is a fantastical landscape that transported me into a pond where lotus leaves provide cover. That even when you can feel small, your peaceful surroundings can embrace you and provide shelter from the chaotic world around you.
"Enchanted Forest"
May 2026
Medium: Watercolor on cold-pressed acid-free watercolor paper
Size: 5"x7"
Status: Available
This piece reminds me that even in the seemingly dark, there is wonder all around you. The silver accents are meant to symbolize fireflies.
"Nature Calling"
May 2026
Medium: Watercolor on cold-pressed acid-free watercolor paper
Size: 5"x7"
Status: Available
Nature has always been a place a healing for me. I created this piece during a time where I was healing after removing myself from a emotionally taxing environment.
My hope is that it can be a place of retreat and healing for others too.
"Chasing Aurora"
June 2026
Medium: Gouache on hot-pressed acid-free paper
Size: 5"x7"
Status: Available
This piece is inspired by the amazing, but illusive Aurora Borealis. This is the backdrop that I hope to encounter someday. I dream of seeing this incredible natural light show, but seeing the colorful reflections in water would make it even more awe-inspiring.
My husband and I went to Iceland in hopes to see the Northern Lights, but the perfect conditions need to be in place to see this phenomenon vividly. I was able to see some faint streaks of green across the sky, but I long to see the vivid streaks of colors that are often displayed in amazing videos and photos. Until then I will continue to chase Aurora and make art of what I hope experience in the flesh at some point in my life.
"Underwater Paradise"
June 2026
Medium: Gouache on cold-pressed acid-free paper
Size: 5"x7"
Status: Available
This piece is inspired by the underwater paradises of our earth. On my recent scuba diving adventures in the Maldives, I was in awe of the amazing colorful landscapes and ecosystems that exist just below the surface. Scuba diving feels like being transported to a completely different planet. The rich biodiversity and natural beauty takes my breath away. This piece is meant to help the viewer get a small taste of my experience of exploring the depths of our beautiful oceans.
"Lush Forest"
June 2026
Medium: Gouache on cold-pressed acid-free paper
Size: 5"x7"
Status: Available
This piece is inspired by the lush forests that can be found in spring. This piece was meant to transport the viewer to a vibrant landscape that is full of life and vibrancy. Everything is so green and blossoming, which creates an electric energy that envelopes you. All you have to do is take a breath and take it all in.
"Tranquility"
June 2026
Medium: Gouache on cold-pressed acid-free paper
Size: 5"x7"
Status: Available
This piece represents moments in life where you want to just escape. All you want to do is get in a boat and paddle somewhere remote and get out of the boat to be completely alone. Solitude can bring peace and tranquility. Quiet moments is where healing and processing can happen. Everyone needs moments to take a beat to ourselves and this piece takes you there.
"Majestic Peaks and Valleys"
June 2026
Medium: Gouache on cold-pressed acid-free paper
Size: 5"x7"
Status: Available
Majestic mountains that painted with the beautiful shadows of nature's natural light show. I have always been enamored by the beauty of the mountains, which is my happy place.
"Flying Over Maldives"
July 2026
Medium: Acrylic markers on hot-pressed acid-free paper
Size: 5"x7"
Status: Available
Inspired by the breathtaking views that we were able to experience during our sea plane travels in the Maldives.
"Vibrancy of Winter"
August 2026
Medium: Gouache on hot-pressed acid-free paper
Size: 8"x10"
Status: Available
This piece reminds me of snowboarding in the back bowls of Vail. It is the one place that I can think of that brings me enormous peace and joy at the same time. I feel that it captures all the different colors that seems to glitter off of the snow. Carving through the trees in the back bowls of Vail is where I fell in love with my husband and will always be one of my favorite places in the world.
"Serenity Summit"
July 2026
Medium: Oil paint on gesso-primed wood
Size: 12"x12"
Status: Available
Inspired by both the natural and man-made slopes of the mountains that make it possible to enjoy the snow-covered peaks. These landscapes can bring both serenity and adventure.
"Frosty Winter"
August 2026
Medium: Acrylic ink on hot-pressed acid-free watercolor paper
Size: 8"x10.6"
Status: Available
This painting was inspired by my love for “Frosty Winters” and the beautiful landscapes it creates. It also features a stream coming from snow melt and how it’s so important for our water lifecycle.
"As The River Flows"
September 2026
Medium: Acrylic ink on hot-pressed acid-free watercolor paper
Size: 5"x7"
Status: Available
This painting was inspired by times in life where you have to surrender and just see where life takes you. You can try to fight the currents, but all that does is exhaust you. Sometimes you have to go with the flow to see where life takes you next. The ambiguity and change can be scary, but growth happens through discomfort and not knowing what comes next is a beautiful part of life if you learn to embrace and enjoy it. This piece is a reminder to me to embrace the changes and ambiguity happening in my life in my present.
Silhouette Series
This series represents how a woman walks through her journey from leaving certain moments of life behind, to finding peace and resilience, and excitement of new beginnings despite the ambiguous nature of the future.
"Peaceful Endings Become Exciting Beginnings"
June 2026
Medium: Gouache on cold-pressed watercolor paper
Size: 5"x7"
Status: Available
This piece meant to represent how a person may feel after they leave their job that caused a lot of turmoil for them. They are excited to leave with grace and say goodbye while looking to the adventures ahead.
"Embracing Uncertainty"
May 2026
Medium: Watercolor on cold-pressed watercolor paper
Size: 5"x7"
Status: Available
This embodies the dichotomy of turning away from the past and looking to the future. The future is full of uncertainty, but there comes a time in every person's life where they would rather look towards the uncertain potential of the future rather stay in their current circumstances. It can been daunting and exciting at the same time, and that's okay.
"Wishing Upon The Stars"
May 2026
Medium: Watercolor on cold-pressed watercolor paper
Size: 5"x7"
Status: Available
She looks to the stars and the moon wondering what is to come. She decided to find a quiet space on the roof to escape her normal environment to find peace, ponder what's to come, and to wish for a bright future full of adventure and fulfillment.
"Walk And The Way Shall Appear"
June 2026
Medium: Watercolor on cold-pressed watercolor paper
Size: 5"x7"
Status: Unavailable
The sand and water blend together and with each step, she starts to see where it is safe to place her feet without falling into the depths. It's impossible to plan her path from a distance, but with each step, her safe path becomes clearer. This piece is meant the communicate that sometimes life makes it impossible to plan from the vantage point of seeing the whole picture. Sometimes you have to just put one foot in front of the other.
"Almost There"
July 2026
Medium: Gouache on hot-pressed watercolor paper
Size: 8"x10"
Status: Available
Is she almost finished with her journey, or is it only beginning? That is left to the interpretation of the viewer. The subject can be interpreted as having almost completed the journey, or having not much further to go despite a long path before her. It is all perspective and attitude that determines the way a person approaches a journey and that is what I intended this piece to evoke.
Nature Series
This series is inspired by nature that has taken a hold of my heart. Some of the subjects are inspired by my scuba diving adventures and some are creatures that I dream to encounter in real life. The natural world is full of amazing creatures and creations and I like to express their beauty in my art for others to enjoy.
"Underwater Wonders"
May 2026
Medium: Watercolor on watercolor paper
Size: 5"x7"
Status: Unavailable
This piece was inspired by my trip to the Maldives in March 2026. I went on a few scuba dives and snorkeled and was able to see so much marine life. Unfortunately, I was not able to see a whale shark on this trip. Seeing a whale shark is on my bucket list. On this trip I was mesmerized by the blues of the water, which I tried to capture here. I was able to see manta rays and eagle rays, which changed me forever.
This piece is meant to help the viewer remember the immense beauty of our ocean life. If you search hard enough, there are peculiar species that can feel like you are entering a completely different world entirely. These creatures have odd shapes and patterns that are so beautiful.
"Koi"
May 2026
Medium: Gouache on cold-pressed acid-free watercolor paper
Size: 5"x7"
Status: Available
This piece is inspired by the colorful patterns of koi. They have beautiful fins that propel them through the water. The water and aquatic plant life form a mosaic of patterns in the background.
"Shark and Shadow"
June 2026
Medium: Acrylic on hot-pressed acid-free watercolor paper
Size: 5"x7"
Status: Available
This piece was inspired by the sharks I befriended in the Maldives and wonderful turquoise water. Sharks have a bad reputation, but to be honest, they don't really want anything to do with humans most of the time. I was able to encounter 3 different types of sharks while I was there and they were incredible to see in the wild.
"Curiosity of the Longfin Batfish"
July 2026
Medium: Color pencil on hot-pressed acid-free watercolor paper
Size: 5"x7"
Status: Available
Inspired by the curious Longfin Batfish and colorful corals that I encountered on my recent dives in the Maldives. These fish were large and playful. They would swim within inches of my face because they were just as curious about me as I was about them. I will never forget our encounter because it left an imprint on my heart that will be there forever.
Botanic Series
Flowers and plants are nature's best creation of ephemeral beauty. The blooms and foliage always display an impressive range of forms and color, but their beauty is always fleeting. I feel like flowers teach a beautiful lesson that it's important to grasp the present and be fully in it. To enjoy the small, but beautiful details around us before they pass us by.
"Blooming With Resilience"
June 2026
Medium: Watercolor and white ink on cold-pressed acid-free watercolor paper
Size: 5"x7"
Status: Available
This piece is an abstract representation of the lotus flower. This flower is symbolic of resilience across many cultures. This is because this type of flower takes root in the muddiest and murkiest of conditions, but yet it can bring beauty and thrive even in the most stagnant waters. It is beauty that emerges from filth and the undesirable. To me it symbolizes how a person can develop strength, wisdom, and grace because of difficult circumstances and spread beauty in this world despite sometimes bleak surroundings.
"Floral Medley"
June 2026
Medium: Color pencil on card stock
Size: 5"x7"
Status: Available
This piece was inspired by the vibrant colors that show up in flowers. It also celebrates the different shapes and sizes that appear in nature. Some flowers grow on branches of enormous trees and some flowers emerge from a variety of soil compositions of the earth. This piece celebrates the vibrancy and range in which flowers can be found.
"Blossoming With Vibrancy"
June 2026
Medium: Gouache on cold-pressed acid-free paper watercolor paper
Size: 5"x7"
Status: Available
Lotus flowers represent resilience, but this piece represents resilience with vibrancy. It's one thing to survive despite struggle, but to survive and thrive is what is represented here. This piece is full of both organic and geometric shapes representing how life is full of situations that require different ways of adapting and showing up.
"Poppy Close-Up"
June 2026
Medium: Colored pencils and black acrylic paint on hot-pressed acid-free watercolor paper
Size: 5"x7"
Status: Available
This piece is a close-up of a poppy flower. You can see the different shades of red that show up in the various folds and creases of the petals.
"Plumeria Blooms of Positivity"
July 2026
Medium: Acrylic ink on hot-pressed acid-free watercolor paper
Size: 5"x7"
Status: Available
Plumerias carry the meaning of positivity, new beginnings, and grace. They also happen to be my favorite flower. My first large scale painting in 2004 was of plumerias and I wanted to create a new piece as a nod to how far I have come in the last 22 years.
"Birds of Paradise"
August 2026
Medium: Acrylic ink on hot-pressed acid-free watercolor paper
Size: 5"x7"
Status: Available
I still remember the first time I saw the Birds of Paradise flower. To me, it felt like I had just encountered a plant from another planet. I was mesmerized by it's odd shape and vibrant colors. I feel like this flower demonstrates how even without conformity, it is possible to be incredibly beautiful.
"Glowing Orchids"
August 2026
Medium: Polychromos oil-based colored pencils on acid-free paper
Size: 8.5"x11.5"
Status: Available
This piece was inspired by how light can transform any object with an array of colors. It also plays with the blurred bokeh effect of light in the background. Orchids are such a unique flower because it can come in so many shapes, colors, and sizes and for that reason, it is a subject that I love to focus on in my pieces.
"Lovely Bouquet"
August 2026
Medium: Watercolor and acrylic ink on hot-pressed acid-free paper
Size: 7.7"x10.6"
Status: Available
A beautiful bouquet of poppies, peonies, a rose, and lilac.
"Sparkling Orchids"
September 2026
Medium: Watercolor and acrylic ink on hot-pressed acid-free cotton watercolor paper
Size: 7.7"x10.6"
Status: Available
Beautiful colorful orchids that are playing with the surrounding shadows and light. This is the second piece in my orchid series.
Portrait Series
Seeing the beauty and details in faces is not only about the variety of features that make a face beautiful or intriguing, but also the expressions of emotion that are conveyed.
"Rising From the Depths"
May 2026
Medium: Gouache on cold-pressed acid-free watercolor paper
Size: 5"x7"
Status: Available
I have always been inspired by portraits that play with different splashes of color that come together to create the form of a face. I was also inspired by moments in life where you feel like you have been drowning with all of the many circumstances that enrapture you to make you feel overwhelmed. There is always a moment where you overcome the swirl and you start to rise from the depths of chaos. Everything that once consumed you starts to drip away as you enter a new phase that feels lighter and less smothering.
"Holding My Head Above Water"
June 2026
Medium: Gouache on cold-pressed acid-free watercolor paper
Size: 5"x7"
Status: Available
Sometimes there's a feeling in your soul that you're barely holding your own head above water by sheer will. Life gets overwhelming and can sometimes feel like it's kicking you in the pants, but you just keep moving forward despite the chaos. Sometimes you feel like you're just floating along and feeling like life is passing you by and it's all you can do to pull yourself along to get through the season you're in.
"Recentering"
August 2026
Medium: Acrylic ink and archival pigment ink on acid-free hot-pressed paper
Size: 5"x7"
Status: Available
For those moments in life when you just need a moment to close your eyes and take a deep breath to reground and recenter yourself. Music just takes the process a step further. Feeling a soulful song in your bones takes you away from reality for a brief moment and transports you into your internal world as a retreat.
Early Works
These are pieces that I have created through the years that I have loved. They span a wide range of media as I explored and honed my skills.
"Zooming Into The Details"
Circa 2010
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Status: Unavailable
This piece is meant to give the feeling of zooming in so far that you see a pixelated view of the details. The subject is meant to be ambiguous so that the viewer can interpret what they see. This is a large scale painting.
"Navigating The Trees
Circa 2011
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Status: Unavailable
Enter a dream landscape where a bird is navigating shadows of trees. This dream is full of shapes and forms that are always defined.
"Plumeria Blooms
Circa 2004
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Status: Unavailable
One of my first larger scale paintings of plumerias.
"Orchid Blooms"
Circa 2009
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Status: Unavailable
Inspired by beautiful orchid blooms.
"Geometric Starburst 1 & 2"
2021
Medium: Laser cut wood panels painted with spray paint and acrylic, framed in a custom 3D printed frame.
Status: Unavailable
Inspired by cool mathematical geometries.