Doodling with Hannah

An Interview with Artist Hannah Jones

What is life if you don’t use the whole set of crayons you possess? In my opinion, it’s a very bland life indeed.

My path crossed with Hannah Jones a few years ago at Darlington School in Rome, Georgia. Her talent at playing the cello was undeniable, but that was only a sample of her artistic skills.

A few years after watching her grow and seeing her talents blossom, I asked her if she would like to be an illustrator for my books. I explained that I simply wanted doodles or sketches a young girl would draw in a journal. I needed help because I have a hard time drawing the simplest of stick-men. She smiled and said she would give it a try. That was the beginning of a wonderful working relationship between author and illustrator.

Since the first seashells, sailboats, and horse tack, she has also created trolls, fairies, and the adorable CGP, Cody the Cockatrice. Cody’s creation was a challenge. How does one draw something from a mythological creature and mix it with something in my head? When she so easily sketched my vision, I knew she had serious skill.

She sketches interesting characters for my books in her spare time, but is a full-time undergrad student at Jacksonville State University in Alabama. This has allowed her to gather more “crayons” for her collection. Recently, I asked her about her favorite areas of study. She replied, “Design. One of the reasons I love to design is because I enjoy the process of designing from beginning to end and solving problems. One of the most rewarding parts of designing is seeing the finished product of a design and knowing where it started in the sketchbook. Each project comes with individual problems and solutions, which makes each project interesting.”

Hannah taught me that she must empathize with the audience to truly create a great design. Design is a way for her to create work that benefits others. Right now, she is designing an educational campaign for dyslexic children, which focuses on helping them build a stronger reading foundation. I can’t wait to see this project when it is complete!

Branding, packaging, apps, websites, advertisements, and publications are tasks of a graphic designer. This has allowed her to put pencil to paper and convey her ideas before creating her finished products using either Adobe Creative Suite, Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign. The art of wheel throwing, glazing, and firing, along with creating package designs such as bottles, music packaging, and publications are all in Hannah’s wheelhouse, and they are her favorite things to create. Her plan after graduating with her BFA in Graphic Design in the spring of 2021 is to find a design firm or advertising agency. With her talent and heart, I am sure she will reach this goal.

I asked Hannah if she could give $100.00 to a charity, which would she choose? Her reply was that she would give $100.00 to the cancer society because so many are people affected by cancer.

I am proud to announce that as of 11 March 2021, I have donated $100.00 to The American Cancer Society in Hannah’s name.

One of the biggest blessings of working at Darlington School was meeting a student like Hannah. It has been a pleasure watching her talent soar and knowing that one day, I will see her work go national—oh wait, it already has, as my books with her sketches are being sold around the world!

I can’t tell you how thankful I am to Hannah for taking the time to draw some “doodles” for me.

You can find her on Instagram: @Hajonesdesign and check out her portfolio here!

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