Check Out Carrie Anne Hudson’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Carrie Anne Hudson.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve been creative for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I was constantly drawing, making up characters and comic strips, and trying to recreate the cartoons I watched on TV. I loved art from a very young age, but it wasn’t until high school that I really started to consider that it might be something I could pursue as a career.

I originally went into college (hey SDSU!) studying graphic design because, at the time, I thought that was the most practical way to make a living creatively. But after taking a few painting classes at the recommendation of a friend, everything changed. I fell in love with the freedom of painting and illustration and eventually switched my focus, earning my degree in Painting and Printmaking. I began developing my art into the style I’m known for today, blending spooky, macabre imagery with nostalgia, whimsy, pop culture, and a lifelong love of Halloween. From there, I started immersing myself in the San Diego and Los Angeles art communities going to shows, meeting other artists and curators, and slowly putting my own work out into the world.

In my early twenties, I started showing my work where I could. I displayed and sold work at pop-ups in boutiques, hotels, parties, gritty dive bars, and small local galleries. At the same time, I was building my website, taking commissions, sharing my work online, and slowly working my way toward bigger exhibitions and opportunities. I was also supporting myself with a full-time job throughout all of it. I spent nearly a decade working in the restaurant industry, waiting tables through high school, college, and the early years of my art career before eventually moving into office work.

Over time, that persistence led to exhibitions with galleries like Gallery1988, which was one of LA’s biggest pop culture galleries at the time, Spoke Art Gallery, Hero Complex Gallery, and others. Along the way, I was fortunate enough to spend a month at an artist residency in Transylvania, Romania, receive a San Diego Art Prize nomination, contribute to projects like the art book Alien: 40 Years 40 Artists, and eventually have my first solo exhibition.

As my work evolved, so did the way I wanted to connect with people. I started vending at large conventions and art events, which opened up an entirely different creative community for me. Today you can find me traveling with my artwork to events like Monsterpalooza, Midsummer Scream, Tiki Oasis, the Oddities & Curiosities Expo, and other expos around the country.

One of the biggest parts of that evolution has been “Hallowtiki”, a side brand I created from my love of Halloween, pop culture, and tiki culture. What originally started as an illustration of a jack-o-lantern tiki cocktail grew into an entire collection and eventually its own registered trademark. Over the years, I’ve been able to take those illustrations beyond paper and turn them into different merch like enamel pins, barware, accessories, and actual ceramic tiki mugs. It’s been incredibly surreal to see ideas I originally drew just for fun become physical objects that people can collect and use.

Today, my work still lives somewhere between spooky, nostalgic, and whimsical. I continue to paint and illustrate traditionally while also running my online shop, creating new products, exhibiting, traveling to events, and balancing it all with my full-time day job and social life. I feel like my career has been a long series of saying, “I wonder if I can do that next?” and then figuring out how to make it happen. There’s always another idea or medium I want to explore, keeping me excited to continue on this journey.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Well, it hasn’t always been a smooth road. There are so many parts of being a working artist that have nothing to do with actually making art, and I’ve had to teach myself a lot along the way.

One of the biggest and most unexpected challenges throughout my career has been protecting my artwork. Unfortunately, I’ve had my work copied, reproduced, and sold without my permission more times than I can count. I’ve found myself constantly sending cease and desist notices, filing takedown requests for counterfeit products, contacting websites and marketplaces, and trying to stay on top of where my artwork is appearing online. And now with the rise of generative AI, there’s an entirely new set of challenges. I’ve even seen people run my original artwork through AI filters and attempt to market the results as their own creations. As someone who creates all of my artwork traditionally, it’s disheartening to see my work being repurposed this way.

Because of these hurdles, I’ve had to learn a lot about copyright and trademark law, mostly out of necessity to protect the work and brand I’ve spent years building. There’s definitely been a big learning curve in figuring out what protections are available, when something crosses the line into infringement, how to properly document my work, and when it becomes necessary to take legal action.

One of the more surreal experiences was walking into a well-known big box store and finding my own artwork printed on hand towels without my permission. I remember calling my husband and sobbing in my car in the parking lot afterwards. That theft discovery eventually led to legal action. Experiences like that really change the way you think about putting your work out into the world. There’s something incredibly frustrating about creating something from scratch, spending years developing a recognizable style and body of work, and then seeing someone else reproduce it and profit from it.

At the same time, I’m incredibly grateful for the people who look out for me. Customers and fellow artists regularly send me links, screenshots, or products they come across because they recognize my work and know something doesn’t look right. While I wish these situations weren’t so common, it means a lot to have a community that recognizes my artwork and helps me protect what I’ve created.

Beyond infringement, there are all of the more familiar challenges that come with being an independent artist. I’ve had to balance my day job with my art, deal with rejection from shows and galleries, invest in products or ideas that didn’t perform the way I had hoped, and spend plenty of time wondering whether I was progressing quickly enough. A lot of my small business has also been self-funded, so there’s always the challenge of wanting to take the next creative leap while figuring out what I can realistically afford to produce. And on top of all that, there’s the added pressure of maintaining a social media presence and keeping up with the expectation to always be creating and sharing something new.

I think one of the biggest lessons for me has been realizing that being a professional artist also means learning how to advocate for yourself. There really isn’t one straight path to making a career in art, and sometimes the job involves things you never imagined would become part of it. I would much rather spend my time creating new artwork than sending legal notices or filing infringement reports, but protecting what I’ve built has become part of running my business, too. Through all of it, I’ve tried to keep moving forward, learn from each experience, and become more resourceful and intentional about how I spend my time, protect my artwork, and continue growing my business.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a traditional artist and illustrator based in San Diego, California, specializing in artwork that’s a little spooky, a little nostalgic, and often humorous. My work is heavily inspired by Halloween, classic horror, pop culture, music, and all things strange and unusual. I love blending darker subject matter with playful imagery, whether I’m creating an original painting inspired by the fall season or putting my own spin on a favorite movie character.

I primarily work with acrylic paints and micron ink pens, creating original paintings and illustrations that I also turn into fine art prints, enamel pins, accessories, and other collectibles. I really enjoy finding ways to take my artwork beyond the canvas and turn it into something people can collect, use, and enjoy in their everyday lives.
I’m probably best known for my “Hallowtiki” line, a series of Halloween and pop culture inspired tiki cocktail illustrations and merchandise. I’ve always loved tiki culture and had the idea to combine it with my lifelong obsession with Halloween. My very first illustration in the series was a jack-o’-lantern tiki cocktail, complete with its own umbrella and garnishes. What started as a fun little experiment eventually grew into an entire collection and its own brand, which I went on to trademark.

I think one of the things I’m most proud of is finally bringing a handful of my tiki designs to life as actual ceramic tiki mugs. It’s something I’d wanted to do for years, and seeing ideas that started as drawings evolve into actual collectibles has been an incredibly rewarding experience. There’s something really special about holding a finished product that you’ve spent so much time imagining, illustrating, and developing.

I also enjoy being able to explore so many different interests without feeling like I have to stick to one particular subject or medium. My original paintings tend to lean more toward the macabre, nostalgia, and personal inspiration, while my pop culture and Hallowtiki pieces give me a chance to have a little more fun and humor with my illustrations. I think I’ve managed to find my own little niche somewhere between Halloween, pop culture, and tiki, which isn’t necessarily a combination you see every day.

Beyond the actual artwork, I’m incredibly proud of the community I’ve built around it. Getting to meet collectors in person at conventions and art shows, seeing people return year after year, and knowing that something I’ve created has found a place in someone’s home or collection is one of my favorite parts of being an artist. It’s especially exciting when someone recognizes my artwork before they even recognize my name!

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Honestly, I’d probably say persistence, with a healthy dose of stubbornness thrown in. I am a Taurus after all! I’ve never really had a grand plan for how to turn my artwork into a career, and very little of it has happened overnight. A lot of my opportunities have come from simply putting myself out there, hearing “no” (or nothing at all), and trying again anyway. I’ve spent years building my business around a full-time job, so I’ve had to learn how to make the most of whatever time and resources I have rather than waiting for the perfect circumstances.

I’m also the type of person who gets an idea in my head and wants to figure out how to make it happen, even if I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing at first. Whether that’s applying to a new gallery, taking my artwork to a convention across the country, or figuring out how to turn one of my illustrations into something tangible, there’s usually a pretty big learning curve involved. Not everything works out the first time, and I’ve definitely made plenty of mistakes along the way, but I think being willing to try something new, learn from the experience, and keep pushing forward has made the biggest difference for me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.carrieannehudson.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carriehudson
• Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CarrieAnneHudsonArt

Image Credits
All images property of Carrie Anne Hudson. All rights reserved.