Meet Hope Antonellis

Today we’d like to introduce you to Hope Antonellis.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I had always been fascinated with art for its therapeutic properties since I was very young. The first time I was introduced to my making capabilities I was six; I was upset or acting sporadically, and my sister sat me down with a pencil and paper and encouraged me to sit in silence and let myself channel my energy on to the page. That kind of meditation to understanding myself became more potent as I got older, as I was trying to navigate my identity with a mother who was ill. As my mom’s head had cleared from the pain medication she was on, art resurfaced in my mother’s healing mechanisms as well, so I feel that my itch to create is a fluid force that runs through my family. Reintroducing art into our home has been a powerful healing force, and has proved to be a tool to an intense psychological and intuitive discovery of the self. It helps me reveal my voice and how I truly, explicitly feel without causing harm, but by inspiring beauty. I think through all the dark that my family had been through, it has inspired me to live a life pursuing beauty and healing in the world through visual art and the practice of creating.

After witnessing what being in an artful community can do for people who are sick, mentally or physically, I feel driven to story tell through various mediums and be apart of communities dedicated to healing, speaking for alternative medicine, or speaking for communities with a quieter voice.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I am still in the process of figuring out which avenue of the arts I want to be focused on since I tend to hop around different mediums so often… I had always been painting, and giving those paintings few sculptural elements, but I am now discovering my passion for installing rooms, sculptures, and making spaces for events. I guess my struggle at the moment is finding focus and stability for all of my ideas or that I feel I don’t fully know everything yet to truly dive in. I’m definitely just beginning, and still discovering others who I wish to work with and what type of communities I want to be involved in, as well as developing my voice.

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I am a flexible free-lancing artist at the moment. I happily take commissions for posters, album covers or any kind of merchandise that would like some imagery made with paints or collage elements, as well as selling my own prints and pieces. A new avenue I’ve been experimenting with is setting up galleries or installation spaces for concerts or events, which I find the most rewarding. I am looking forward to growing in both of these areas. (:

What were you like growing up?
I was a spacey child with an intense imagination. My best friends growing up would construct elaborate imaginative games which helped most of the time to escape from how intense reality had been. All of my friends growing up were really intimate and creative folk, and we encouraged one another to be expressive and to invite each other to our own realms of our minds. Most of my growing up had been circled around exploring the woods in our town and making make-believe “spells” or practices to undo our fear and foster our dreams. Dancing was a big part of my growing up, as well as making sacred spaces for my friends who were also going through troubling upbringings. Though my home life was murky during these years, I feel the friends and relationships I made played a huge role in fostering my love of life. My older sister through my growing had been a big influence on me and my interests as well in things such as holistic healing, astrology, and knowledge of herbs and plants. I grew up respecting nature and the depths of people through my relationships. I was mostly excited to be alive as a kid and I feel very connected to that part of myself still.

Contact Info:

• Phone: 7816907526
• Email: hopeantonellis@live.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exub3rance/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100007479559481

Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.