Designs Form, Colors Burst, Shapes Arrive by Lydia Hassan

Lydia Hassan is and always was drawing, painting, sewing, and making and creating things. Influenced by how things are made, observing nature’s snow on branches, clouds in the sky and waves on the beach, she was inspired to pursue her passion for visual and graphic design. Noticing store-window displays, amusement park rides, advertising signage and magazine topography influenced Lydia to include them in her artwork as she studied illustration and editorial design at Syracuse University. These concerns landed her in NYC working in advertising as an Art Director doing program covers, magazine spreads and newsletter layouts. Later on, wall murals, theater backdrops, stage scenery and holiday displays became Lydia’s give-back to community and local schools.

While Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Joseph Cornell, Milton Glaser held her attention for design, color, objects in space, and color study…art history class inspired Lydia through Miro, Picasso, Rauschenberg, Hopper and Nevelson. Her own work has become a collective of nostalgic print ads, vintage toys, discarded packaging, fabric scraps, driftwood and other found objects. Along with many textures, Lydia continues to impart “elements of art” and include them in lesson plans for her art classes.

Lydia’s students continue to inspire artistic outlets for themselves and for her as well. “The light shining brightly in paint, paper, collage, decoupage and printmaking moves us all forward in the quest for creativity.” Lydia displayed in group shows, showed work online and sold pieces locally in galleries and outdoor exhibits. In addition, she continues to pursue related areas such as decorating furniture, creating logos, personal memory books and invitations. She enjoys guiding young artists in after-school programs, summer camp, private tutoring and cultural enrichment.