Living on the Space Coast, we are surrounded by artists that take the natural landscape and make it their own. Beaches, tikis, clear blue skies…tropical paradise adorns our reality and our walls. Walk in to almost any home or business and you will find at least one image of a beach, sea turtles, sunrises or sunsets. But what sets a good artist apart from a great artist, is capturing these same images and making them their own. And that is Exactly what Hassan does!
Hassan began his art journey in Boston, Massachusetts where his passion for art developed at a young age. At the age of 8, Hassan’s mother brought home a stack of comic books…and the rest is history. Those comic books and Saturday morning cartoons piqued Hassan’s curiosity into art, and he began teaching himself the basics of comic and fantasy illustrations.
Hassan’s journey was not always smooth sailing. Losing his father at a young age was difficult for Hassan, and although his mother did her best to raise her children in a city that was plagued by issues, Hassan chose to drop out of high school with a myriad of tough life choices to follow. One incident forever changed the course of Hassan’s life, and he decided at that moment he needed a better path. After attending ITT to learn drafting and engineering, Hassan moved to Rockledge Florida in the early 90s. In the mid-90’s, Hassan spent time working for Nasa while drawing and painting was only accomplished in his free time. When his boss asked to see his artwork, Hassan was given the ultimatum of putting in his two weeks’ notice or being fired as his boss told him that he should be working for Disney and not Nasa! It was then that Hassan decided to delve headfirst into the world of art!
Hassan’s influences extend beyond those comic books and Saturday morning cartoons. Artists such as John Busceme and Frank Frazetta were early influences in his art journey, too. Frank Franzetta, who began his career as a cartoonist and illustrator, developed into an exemplary fine line artist putting together pieces for books such as Conan and early concept art for Star Wars.
During his art journey, Hassan spent three months studying abroad in Florence, Italy. Per Hassan:
“Italy was truly an epic experience! The food, the art, and the people are amazing! I lived in Florence for 3 months and towards the end of that time, Italy felt like a second home. I think my trip there ignited my appreciation for sculpture. When I saw Michaelangelo’s carving of David in person, I was truly speechless. The amount of detail carved into stone was jaw dropping. I also enrolled in a basic photography course while I was there, and the professor showed me how to expose photos properly, and it opened up a whole new world for me!”
Yes, Hassan is not only a painter; he is a photographer and a videographer as well! Hassan is able to use his knowledge of painting and photography to complement each other as each share the same basic rules for composition, lighting, color theory, etc. When Hassan paints, he is very aware of qualities like reflected lighting which he learned from his photography journey. According to Hassan, “Painting is creating the illusion of light and photography captures light; the goals are the same. It’s all about light.”
His inspiration for photography stems from watching his mother when she used her own equipment.
“I remember being fascinated with the little strobe flash she had, how did so much light come out of that little device! My mother was amazing, so intelligent, funny and creative. She was a social worker by day and a DJ at night. It’s because of her that I have a deep affinity for photography and music. My mother bought me a really nice Minolta film camera in the mid 90’s. It was a great camera, but my pictures sucked! I tried reading books on the subject, but I just couldn’t get it. However, when I got to Italy and the photography professor broke it down for me then it was like a revelation, I got it! I finally understood the balance of shutter speed, f-stop and film speed. However, processing film can get pricey, so progress was steady but slow. When I bought my first digital camera in 2005 then the progress really exploded. I mostly enjoy working with natural light and I love challenging myself to get the best pictures with what’s around me, low tech.”
Looking through Hassan’s extensive portfolio, it is difficult to pick a favorite piece. The colors are vibrant. The stories being told are on point. But there is one piece that is Hassan’s favorite: “Exotica”.
“Without a doubt, that painting boosted my confidence early in my career as a painter. Not only is that painting my best-selling print of all time, but it almost didn't become a painting at all! My goal was to create something that transported the viewer's mind to an exotic paradise. It all began with a large blank canvas, a white primed hollow door. I sketched a native female form on the left side of the painting. But soon after the initial sketch, I hit a creative wall, and I didn't know what to do for the rest of the painting. A few people came by the studio and saw the beginning stages of Exotica, some thought it was a good start, others suggested I erase the sketch and start over. Somehow, I got the inspiration to create another anchor type of element on the right side of the composition which was a tiki with flames behind it. Then I added a hut, palm trees and a waterfall and suddenly I had a masterpiece on my hands! The piece really seems to resonate with people and it's timeless. I sold the original within a week or two of completing it many moons ago.”
Everyone’s journey towards their goals is unique. Different challenges, different bumps along the way. For Hassan, fear stood in his way.
“Fear is the number one killer of dreams and happiness in my opinion. In the early days of my art career, I had my cushy little job at NASA, I made a decent little wage, but I never felt fulfilled. I wanted to draw and paint for a living and my boss at the time recognized that passion in me when he saw my artwork. So, he threatened to fire me if I didn't quit my job and go apply at Disney. Two weeks later, I left my comfortable job and went to work for Disney as a caricature artist. That leap of faith soon opened other doors for me and within a few years I was designing CD covers for Sony and Universal Music and illustrating for nationally published magazines. Don't let fear rob you of your success, take a chance and go for it.”
Artists in their early stages of development look for advice from seasoned artists to know what worked for them and how they can implement those strategies into their own lives. Hassan’s advice:
“DRAW, DRAW, DRAW!!! Artists should always be training like an Olympian. As a young artist, I would only draw when I felt the inspiration and sometimes long stretches of time would go by when I was not creating and that slows down the progress. When you're consistently creating there are beneficial processes that are happening that you may not be aware of, things are happening subconsciously like muscle memory. Study lots of artists and be open to other art forms. Also, studying sculpture is a great way to understand form, light and shadow. Watch documentaries on artists, see if you can find what formulas worked for them and made them successful, not just financially but creatively.”
Currently, Hassan has been influenced by African art and using that style in his own pieces. Taking cue from Pablo Picasso and the primal energy encompassed in his work, Hassan hopes to begin a journey into three-dimensional artwork in the near future!
Be sure to check out his social media pages and his website to browse through his artwork!
Website: https://artbyhassan.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artbyhassan/
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