Senior Hannah Lim spends much of her time drawing, even if it’s a quick sketch before bed. Recently, her continued practice paid off when she was presented with the Reggie Behl Drawing Award, which supports an undergraduate student who excels in drawing.
Lim is a senior graduating this month with a BFA in Art Studio and minor in Management from The University of New Mexico.The Reggie Behl Drawing Award is given in honor of artist, educator, and world traveler, Regina “Reggie” Behl, who taught drawing at UNM and all over the world. The award supports an undergraduate student who excels in drawing. Lim submitted a portfolio of five delicately rendered images to win the award.
“I take a lot of inspiration from John Singer Sargent’s watercolor paintings for the work I submitted to the Reggie Behl,” said Lim. “He often painted what he loved or found interesting, such as his family, friends, landscapes, and architecture. I felt that you could feel the joy and passion he had for these things through his quick brushstrokes as well as his colorful and saturated palettes. As I worked on these paintings, I tried to keep in mind his work and incorporate aspects of his style into mine.”
Sargent was an American expatriate artist who was born in 1856 in Italy to American parents and was considered the leading portrait painter of his generation.
“I decided to start this body of work—that I call my Snippets series—when I noticed I had all these photos I’d taken over the years on my phone that were never looked at,” Lim explained. “I travel often between the States and South Korea to visit my family, and I took these photos in the first place as a reminder of the spots I’ve visited. However, I always forgot about them right after so the pictures were just as fleeting as the original memory. By using the photos as a reference for my paintings, I’m using them for their original purpose of reminiscing, but also engaging with them in a more meaningful way than just swiping through my phone.”
Lim’s preferred mediums are digital art and watercolor.
“In digital art, I feel more open to experimenting, pushing myself out of my comfort zone with complexity, stylization, and aesthetics since I can always undo or adjust. In watercolor, I focus a lot more on color palettes, mixing, and harmony, as well as working on my sense of depth, form, and contrast.”
She calls her creative style of drawing “illustrative with hints of realism. I want the paintings to still be recognizably mine with how I use brushstrokes and colors.”
Although those two mediums are her favorite, she also works in graphite, ink, and markers and is making a foray into oil pastels.
“As for styles, outside of these paintings I like to draw figures in a very stylized way. I’d say it’s a cross between Eastern and Western comic and cartoon styles, inspired by the various shows and books I grew up consuming. The way I draw people is very simple with a strong focus on gestures and silhouettes, but still trying to keep it grounded in reality.”
Lim plans to use the prize to help support her pursuit of a master’s degree, hopefully at Ewha Womans University in South Korea.
“My parents have always put a strong focus on education and they support me studying as long as I’m willing. Since I’m given the opportunity, I want to make the most of it.”
Lim found her classes at UNM encouraging and motivating.
“I found that in a lot of my classes at UNM, there was an openness to various creative voices and ideas. It was quite reassuring to be with other artists working on their artistic identity and I think it’s what helped motivate me to solidify mine," said Lim. "Many of my professors, too, were very willing to talk with me about struggles and questions I had, and I’ve really appreciated their thoughts, interpretations, and critiques over the years.
"I definitely think that, both technically and conceptually, I’ve improved with the help of the Art Department. I’ve also gotten more comfortable showing and presenting my work in front of an audience, receiving and giving critique, and writing about my ideas and goals for projects. I think a lot of this is necessary groundwork that’ll benefit me in the future.”
Drawing has been a lifelong habit for Lim.
“It feels wrong if I don’t draw at least something once a day. It’s a practice that can be very demanding and time-consuming, but seeing the results of your imagination and hard work becoming something tangible is one of the unique rewards of working creatively," said Lim. "I hope I can continue to make my mark in the world through art one way or another, because it’s something I truly think I could never part ways from.”
Lim's work will be featured in the John Sommers Lobby at the UNM Art Museum Jan. 26 through Feb. 8 in conjunction with the annual undergraduate juried show.
Top image: Hanbok Rental Shop