Exclusive Interview with an Artist: Ana Hard

Posted on Oct 25, 2021

We love getting to know our artists, and we thought you might too.

In time for International Artist's Day (25th October), this week we chat with Ana Hard, the artist who created our Retro Vibes puzzle in the White Logo Collection.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself. How did you get into illustration?

I think I always had some kind of passion for communicating myself through illustration. Since I was a child and a teenager I always found myself doodling all the time, anywhere. That's why I decided to focus my education through illustration. I studied Fine Arts in Spain with a semester in Bristol, England and then I did a Masters Degree in Graphic and Print Design. After this, I worked first in Inditex as a Print Designer and then I moved to Stockholm to work for H&M. Then I came back to Spain to start my career flying solo. So I'm so grateful that nowadays this has become both my favorite hobby and my full time job at the same time.

What inspires your designs?

I guess I'm a very curious person that is always seeking a good story. I like to be out there telling my own story to the world, and I love seeing that sometimes that point of view is shared by so many people.

Can you briefly talk us through your creative process? How do you turn your ideas into the beautiful illustrations you produce?

I'm a big researcher and I can easily translate an idea into an illustration in my mind, it's like a flash sometimes. Once I have a creative brief or an idea I always look for references that will be part of my little still life compositions and I start building it from there.

How does it feel to have you work turned into a jigsaw puzzle? Are you a jigsaw fan yourself?

Seeing your work turning into a jigsaw puzzle it's so cool! I enjoyed so much creating all those tiny elements that you'll have to find on a puzzle. I wasn't a puzzle maker myself, but I guess it's because before, puzzles weren't that much fun!

If you could meet one artist/illustrator, living or dead, who would it be and why?

Walt Disney, Jane Austen, Steve Jobs, Coco Chanel, Picasso, Nina Simone... So many, and I think there isn't much explanation to it, they just changed the world by not playing by the book through their creativity.

What's your favourite project you've ever worked on?

Difficult question! I enjoyed almost every project that I've worked on, but I guess the last one always feels the most exciting one, so I think it's a new project that I'm working on right now with a luxury bag company from Paris, I can't wait to announce that!