Artist Inspiration + Last Chance to Preorder!
The Watercolor Feast comes out on Tuesday, eek! ...plus an artist feature of painter Samantha Hahn, Charred Broccoli, Denver + NYC
Hi friends,
I’m just back from Denver where I had an amazing weekend with old friends at a beautiful ranch. I also had my first book signing for The Watercolor Feast which comes out on Tuesday (!). In case you haven’t heard me shouting from the rooftops, this is the last chance to preorder a copy!: (Signed Copies/ Bookshop/ Amazon/ B&N/ Anthropologie). Preorders are important because they signal early interest to bookstores who might be more apt to order them, display them more prominently and suggest them to customers. THANK YOU to everyone who has ordered already!! They ship out next week.
This week I am excited to do a fun cross post on Substack with my dear old friend, painter Samantha Hahn. I featured her on my “Artist Inspiration” page in The Watercolor Feast book (see above) and have long looked to her work for inspiration and learning. Her watercolor hand lettering was a huge influence on me when I first started The Forest Feast blog many years ago. She has a great Substack called Art Basil: Memories and Meals, Illustrated, A palette- and palate-expanding exploration of recipes and the people behind them. Here’s the mini snack-sized interview from her post and you can find the full interview here.
When I was 22, I moved to a building on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, and Samantha happened to live downstairs. We immediately connected over our love of art, food, fashion, style, and theme parties…and often did photoshoots just for fun on our rooftop on the weekends. She later introduced me to Jon and the rest is history!
It’s been so inspiring to see Sam’s career as an artist unfold and expand over the years—especially since I have known her from the beginning! I asked her a little about her work in the interview below.
Interview with Artist Samantha Hahn of Art Basil
Erin Gleeson: So many young artists dream of making a career out of their art. Can you tell me a little about how you got to that point?
Samantha Hahn: After art school, I focused on doing as much work as possible to build a professional portfolio and discover my niche. I started getting editorial assignments and slowly began to understand where I fit in the industry. The creative world is a moving train—you have to jump on and find your rhythm, adapt as it shifts, and keep refining your voice along the way.
Eventually, I developed a style and sense of where it could live in the broader landscape. I went back to school for my master's (which is when I met you!), and later taught for a while. But when I became pregnant with my first child, I felt an urgency to really hone in on what I loved most. During my maternity leave, I put together a proposal that became my first book, Well-Read Women. That launched the next chapter of my career, and I’ve been working ever since in this wildly frustrating and exhilarating creative life of my dreams.
EG: You are a multifaceted artist showing in galleries, art directing, teaching, doing editorial work, working on books, running a shop and more. Do you have one favorite part or do you prefer to wear many hats?
SH: I’ve always loved wearing many hats—it keeps me energized and creatively fulfilled. Each aspect of my work feeds a different part of me. Editorial assignments challenge me to respond to the moment and collaborate closely with writers and editors. Book projects allow me to go deep, creating more expansive, narrative-driven work. Photo art direction lets me build a visual world from the ground up with a team, which I find incredibly rewarding.
Maison Rainbow is my playful space—where I can create work that’s more immediate and tangible, just for the joy of it. I recently started Art Basil because I’m endlessly curious about other people—what drives them, what they care about—and I wanted a platform that combines that curiosity with my passion for visual storytelling. It’s all connected. For me, the variety isn’t a distraction—it’s the engine.
It’s not always easy to balance it all, but I think the through-line is storytelling. Whether I’m illustrating, curating, directing, or designing, I’m always thinking about how to communicate emotion, meaning, and beauty. I don’t think I could pick just one focus—even if I tried.
EG: Do you have any advice for illustrators and creatives starting out? Is seeking representation necessary?
SH: I’m always a bit reticent to give hard advice about how to enter the industry today, because there’s no one path in. Every artist has to find their own way, and that journey is shaped by their instincts, their surroundings, and the kind of work they feel called to make.
What I can say is that it’s important to develop a body of work that feels unified. I work in multiple styles, but they all come from the same hand—and people can recognize that. Over time, I’ve learned which categories and spaces I naturally fit into, but that clarity only comes through experience.
When you’re starting out, the most important thing is simply to do great work—and to find a way to share it. There are more platforms than ever now, and yes, they’re saturated. But if you’re hungry and committed, you’ll find your place.
As for agents—I don’t think it’s realistic to get one straight out of the gate. You need to establish yourself professionally first. I currently have an agent in Japan, which is a market that’s harder for me to navigate on my own. In the U.S., I don’t have representation anymore because the marketing often falls to the artist anyway, and I’m comfortable handling contracts and negotiations myself. That might not be true for everyone, but for me, it works.
EG: Your watercolor work has always been such an inspiration to me and you taught me so much early on. But you paint/illustrate in many mediums! What are your favorite materials lately? Is there a project or assignment you’ve worked on that made you feel particularly excited or inspired?
SH: Oh, I love this question—even if my answer might sound a bit meandering. Watercolor will always be my favorite; it’s where I feel most fluid and instinctive. But I also think it’s important to experiment and stay curious with materials. I recently picked up some beautiful, premium colored pencils, and since I’m so used to wet media, it was fun to slow down and let the texture of the pencils lead the way. It reminded me how refreshing it can be to get out of your comfort zone.
In terms of projects, I do a range—from fashion illustration to book covers—but one that really stayed with me was a piece I did for Architectural Digest. I illustrated beloved buildings that were lost in the LA fires—spaces filled with memory, community, and history. It was such a moving assignment, and it made me feel deeply connected to both place and people. It reminded me why I do what I do: to visually honor stories that might otherwise be forgotten.
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This weekend we head to New York for Passover and for book launch events. (Peep some of my Passover recipes from the archives here!). Stay tuned on Instagram for pics of New York. I am giving a talk at Google and doing another private event, but I’ll be in Central Park doing a painting meet-up on launch day (Tuesday 4/15) if anyone wants to join—DM me!
Thanks again to everyone who has preordered and shared on social…I appreciate it so much! Here we go!
xx
Erin