Hannah Giffard

Hannah Giffard Biography

Hannah Giffard was born in London in 1962, the daughter of two artists, both trained at the Slade School of Art, England. Hannah took a Foundation Course at Norwich School of Art and a degree course in Fine Art and Printmaking at Bower Ashton School of Art in Bristol, England.

PAINTING

‘The East Anglian Daily Times’ review said:

“Hannah Giffard’s oil paintings have a medieval symbolism. ‘Hares Asleep Under
A Winter Tree’ implores loosely brushed colour to make a glowing atmosphere. The hares lying in a circular formation within the roots of a tree nestle in a womb like incubation. Something our primordial psyche is manifested here.”

ARTIST’S STATEMENT

I love empty Norfolk landscapes and the changing seasons. Animals and birds are also an endless source of fascination to me. The animals are often symbolic. Their relationship to each other and the landscape brings another dimension, which can be left to the observer to interpret for themselves.
I try to capture a moment of 'being there' and noticing something new in a scene which I may have passed through many times before. In the countryside there is always hope and an austere beauty, even in the depth of midwinter: the black of the crows against the pure white snows to hares boxing on frosty fields in howling March winds.

EXHIBITIONS

2009 - Open Studios Norfolk

2009 - The Olive Tree Solo exhbition

2009 - Bells of Suffolk

2009 - Thompsons Gallery, Alburgh, Suffolk

2008 – Big Blue Sky Gallery Norfolk
2008 – Bells of Suffolk
2008 – Thompsons Gallery, Alburgh, Suffolk
2008 – Cambridge contemporary Arts
2008 – The Olive Tree – Solo
2007 – Open Studios, Norfolk
2007 – The Fisher Theatre – Solo
2007 Cambridge Contemporary Arts - Mixed
2007 – Bells of Suffolk – Solo Show
2007 – Fairfax Gallery, Burnham Market
2007 – Open Studios Norfolk
2007 – Norfolk and Norwich Hospital
2007 – The King of Hearts Gallery, Norwich
2006 – Thompsons Gallery, Alburgh
2006 – Cambridge Contemporary Fine Arts
2006 – Fairfax Gallery – Burnham Market, Norfolk.
2005 – Cambridge Contemporary Fine Art
2005 – Lena Boyle Fine Art - London
2005 -- Leaping Hare, Bury St Edmunds, Norfolk
2005 – London Clarendon Cross Gallery Holland Park
2004 – London – Clarendon Cross Gallery
2003 – Norfolk and Norwich Hospital – Buxton Children’s Ward – Window Designs
2003 – London – Clarendon Cross Gallery - solo
2002 – London – Contemporary Arts Fair - mixed
2001 – London – Nine Clarendon Cross Gallery – solo
2001 – Norfolk and Norwich Hospital solo exhibition
2001 – London – The Mall Galleries - mixed
2000 – Buckenham Gallery – Southwold – mixed
1999 – Norfolk and Norwich Arts Festival – Norwich
1999 – London – Clarendon Cross Gallery – solo
1997 – West of England Academy - mixed
1994 – W. H. Smith Travelling Exhibition – mixed

Hannah Giffard’s paintings are currently in private collections in France, England, U.S.A, Australia and South America.

PUBLISHING AND ANIMATION

Stephanie Nettell of the Observer Newspaper wrote:

“Hannah Giffard is an original, the undiscovered talent publishers dream about….words and pictures have a bold personal rhythm.”

Hannah has written and illustrated a large number of children’s books for a number of publishers from Frances Lincoln, to Pan Macmillan, and Simon and Schuster. Her most successful books were the classic ‘Red Fox’ and ‘Red Fox on the Move’, published by Frances Lincoln, which were both short-listed for 'The Children’s Book of the Year' Award.

It was here that Hannah first developed the idea of stories about a family of red foxes, which she later developed into the animation concept of ‘Pablo the Little Red Fox’. where Pablo, the naughty little fox cub, becomes the hero of the stories. The Animation series is about a family of foxes who live in someone’s back yard in the city.

Hannah became a partner in Red Fox Productions, which co-produced the series with the French animation company called Millimages. Pablo The Little Red Fox won the BAFTA for the Best International programme, beating Jim Henson’s ‘Bear in the Big Blue House’ and Nickelodeon’s ‘Hey Arnold!’. The animation series is currently showing on the Cbeebies and 50 countries worldwide.

Hannah continues to paint, teach, create children’s books and juggle family life in her South Norfolk home surrounded by three boisterous boys, six shy sheep, one dopey dog, three speckled chickens and a pond full of dithering ducks!

She has just finished a large commission for the new Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, where she designed and painted lively and colourful seaside images for the Jenny Lind Children’s Department. See Norfolk and Norwich Hospital Arts.