037 : Hannah Shergold, Artist

This week's NEW podcast episode is with the wonderful Hannah Shergold.

Winchester artist Hannah Shergold has a fascinating, albeit peculiar back story and is now one of the most successful self-representing artists in the UK.

Since leaving the Armed Forces in April 2018 Hannah has hosted two solo exhibitions on London’s Pall Mall and within 15 months raised over £120,000 for charity through the sale of her artwork.

She recently partnered with Prince William’s conservation charity Tusk with a fundraising target of £75,000.

But despite her success, Hannah has taken a less conventional route to reach it. She graduated from Cambridge University in 2006 having studied pre-clinical Veterinary Medicine. After three years as a bronze sculptor, she joined the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and commissioned into the Army Air Corps.

Following a ground tour of Afghanistan with the infantry she qualified as a Lynx helicopter pilot and has served all over the world including Germany, Canada and Kenya.

In 2015 Hannah was deployed to Kenya to conduct medical evacuation duties. Often based in austere locations in the remote northern deserts, she flew multiple casualties with life-threatening conditions to medical facilities in Nairobi.

Having experimented with painting whilst on standby Hannah’s work quickly drew a following, and since her return to the UK in 2016 Hannah has featured on Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year, in the Financial Times “How To Spend It”, Mayfair Times, Luxury London magazine, and was listed as one of the top 10 “Women to Watch in the Arts” by About Time magazine.

I am so excited to share this fascinating episode with you, and can't wait to hear what you think!