About Gillian Hancey

I am best known for my vibrant, colourful paintings that are created with multiple layers, resulting in mesmerising pieces of artwork with beautiful detail and depth. I aim to create art that is uplifting and inspiring to look at, and which explores what it means to be human. My paintings are a narrative about people, provoking intrigue and alluding to the energy and magic that lie beneath the surface. I have exhibited with THAT Gallery, a pop-up artist collective in Basingstoke, Hampshire, since 2016 and I have sold over 30 original paintings and undertaken many commissions. ​ I was lucky to spend two years working and studying in close-knit communities in Latin America and the warmth and friendliness of the people I met and the vibrant, upbeat culture had a profound effect on the style of my work. It made me passionate about being positive, enjoying life and appreciating the small things. I hope that these uplifting vibes really come across in the beautiful combinations of vibrant colour that I always include in my work. When creating a piece of art, I usually start by obtaining a suitable source image, often from a photograph I took myself and then I think about how I would like to use this within a painting. I then draw an outline of the composition onto a colourful mixed-media underpainting and gradually bring the image to life by adding multiple layers, referring back to the source but also responding to effects from the underlying patterns and textures. Often, I deviate completely from the initial plan. The process is a bit like a conversation between myself and the painting - I just provide the starting point and then I see where the conversation leads. Creating a painting in this intuitive way is somewhat exhilarating: it’s not always clear where the painting is going to go next so I have to trust my intuition and not get ahead of it - it’s exciting but tense, and I live the thrill of it all coming together. I have always been an artist at heart - I’ve been drawing and making things since I was old enough to do so and have explored many interests, but always find myself going back to art. I have been mainly working in acrylic as I love the vibrant colours that can be created, and it works well with my intuitive style of painting. However, I think it’s important to keep expanding my comfort zone so I always try and explore new media and techniques. I have typically been working on canvases that are about 18 x 24 inches in size, but have been creating smaller works more recently, and I would like to work bigger one day when I have more space. I’m originally from Glasgow but now live in North Hampshire with my husband and two children.