Maximum Fun, Minimal Impact with Artist, Activist and Athlete Hannah Eddy
I met Hannah at her art show in Portland, OR in 2019. Her vibrant art hung on the walls of EVO as she celebrated with friends and family. Earlier in the month, she released a vegan cookbook benefitting the climate advocacy group, Protect Our Winters. In the next 48 hours, she was heading to Baja to catch some waves before the snow started falling. While in Portland, she was hoping to hit up a few skateparks. Hannah has energy. Lot’s of it.
And every volt of her energy is dedicated to being creative or to the cult of the sideways life, scheming and forecasting where the snow might be falling, the waves might be breaking, and how to structure the other facets of her life around this intel. Snowboarding and skateboarding “have completely made my life what it is. The friends I’ve made (and husband), places I’ve been, the art I’ve made, the fun I’ve had...it’s almost all because of those pieces of wood we ride around on.”
With shredding front and center, Hannah has successfully carved out a simple and creative life as an artist, athlete, and, more recently, an activist. She is a modern poster child for a lifestyle of minimum impact and maximum fun.
Photo by Shaun Daley
Hannah is a prolific artist, posting new illustrations almost daily. “I’ve always felt the urge to draw, paint, and create. Ever since I can remember, it’s been a part of my life. I wake up excited to create and express myself, whether it’s painting, riding a board, or playing music. Through my art, I am inspired to help evoke a connection and appreciation for nature, and help encourage everyone to have fun and get outside.”
Hannah’s artwork is self-described as “playful and illustrative” with exaggerated landscapes that combine natural elements with fun-loving characters. Her technicolor palette evokes good times. In 2018, Hannah challenged herself with “100 Days of Art” to habitualize creation and learn digital skills. “Working digitally allows me to make the large quantity of work that I want, without adding more stuff to the world or needing a huge space to work and store my art. We have solar panels on our house, so it’s also pretty cool that my computer and iPad are powered by the sun.” Hannah recently designed the “ “Everybody Surfs” print for an Airblaster Ninjasuit (the original one-piece base layer) collaboration, also featured on googles and facemasks.
When Hannah works with mixed media, she utilizes recycled or thrifted materials whenever possible. Any framed works are generally made from reclaimed wood. Hannah continues to do a mix of digital and tactile art. “With all this new tech and the stylus, it feels like actual drawing and I can do it anywhere! The satisfaction is definitely still there. Painting will always be a meditative process because the time is longer and I’m really in the moment when doing line work with brushes or watching the paint take on a life of its own as it drips or splatters on the canvas. Both methods have aspects that I really enjoy. I don’t see any reason to pick just one.”
Artwork by Hannah Eddy
Last year, Hannah (and her husband Tim Eddy) attended a POW climate advocacy summit in Moab. “We had an amazing few days of learning and planning. We worked to get the messaging right to reach the most people and encourage voting for representatives who prioritize climate. We realize that while making personal choices to reduce our impacts is beneficial, it’s even more important right now to get policies and regulations in place to help combat climate change.”
Hannah and her husband minimize their impact with practices such as conscious consuming, composting, and investing in solar energy. They travel by bike when possible (Yes, of course, they’ve ridden a tandem bike across the country.) They also hand-built and lived in an off-the-grid cabin for six years, eat vegan, and co-wrote a plant-based cookbook to benefit Protect Our Winters. When adventuring, they prefer human-powered snow missions; accessing wilderness and powder via splitboard. Sidenote, you can always count on Hannah to have A+ snacks on hand.
Similar to working with different mediums for her art, Hannah’s lifestyle is equal parts fun and impactful. Why not enjoy the bounty of winter and advocate for its protection? Why choose one if you can do it all?
