The Inspiration for Hanna's Handbags
hannasotherhandbags.webs.com
My long term goal of creating a demand for my work is to provide work for others. Hanna's Handbags at www.hannashandbags.com is an amalgamation of my artwork, Catherine Rose Chiara, mixed with my love for sewing simple handbags. I love to paint and I love to sew. Hanna's other Handbags are the inspiration for Hanna's Handbags.
In 2005 I was attempting to make a handbag shaped like a guitar case as a Christmas gift and it wasn't working out. On that original pattern was a sketch of the shape I use for these bags. I had just begun painting Pixelism where I was placing colorful square strokes next to each other. I had extra canvas and constructed a bag. I had black gesso on hand and put it on the bag. I thought this would be a great vehicle to show off my new painting technique. The whole bag elicited such great responses I knew I had made something special. Over the years I handcrafted the bags, hand painted them and sold them. It became difficult to produce them in any large quantity using this method and every so often I would stop and say "No More!" But then I would wear one of the bags out to a social event and would get so many compliments then I would make more.
While making the bags I continued to make paintings and was so pleased with what I was producing. I even made much larger tote bags that I plan to produce in the future. After a while my painting went in a whole new direction and my hand bag production dropped off. After moving to North Carolina and staying with my sister and her family, a renewed desire to produce the bags has come about. I have figured out ways for me to efficiently and happily produce the bags and meet the demand. To learn more about me see:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjcW8u5uqaA
hannasotherhandbags.webs.com