From Rocky Mountains to Desert Canvases
Ginger Hamilton isn’t your average artist.
Daring, fearless and audacious—she pulls you in with her signature bold brushstrokes and monochrome palette that proclaim the things she wants to say, the feelings she wants to share.
Born and raised in Denver, Colorado, Ginger’s journey from the Rocky Mountains to the Sonoran desert is a testament to her adventurous spirit and determination to carve out her own path. Growing up, she developed a deep appreciation for art and creativity. But it wasn’t until she attended a small liberal arts college in the Quad Cities that her passion truly took shape.
“I was actually recruited to play softball, which I had done competitively pretty much my whole life,” she says. “I double majored in graphic design and marketing and, after graduating, I did what all my friends were doing: I moved to Chicago.”
Ginger soon landed a job at Trunk Club, a personal styling service owned by Nordstrom, where she moved up the ranks to middle management. But when COVID hit, she, like many others, was furloughed from her job.
“It was definitely a transformational period,” she explains. “While it didn’t exactly feel like it at the time, it worked out for the better because I don’t think I would’ve taken the leaps I’ve taken to get me to where I am today.”
After moving to Arizona in late 2020, Ginger officially embarked on a new chapter of her life as a full-time artist and entrepreneur, launching Ginger CC Design and embracing the uncertainty and challenges that comes with starting a business.
“The first two weeks, I literally cried every day,” she laughs, recalling the days she’d spend hours watching video tutorials on being a business owner. “I decided I first needed to focus on honing my craft. I’ve always done this style of black text on white paper. I love typography and can really ‘geek out’ on fonts.”
It’s Ginger’s love for the written word that has inspired her signature style and allowed her to fully express herself.
“I may come off as not very emotional to some people, like very cut and dry,” she says. “In reality, I’m a very emotional person. I prefer to express my emotions through these kind of vague statements through my art. Also words have different meanings to different people. When people ask me what something means, I ask, ‘What does it mean to you?’ Because that’s all that matters.”
New to the Arizona maker scene, one of Ginger’s first forays into entrepreneurship was through the Gilbert Art Walk, where she showcased her artwork on such items as canvas art, art prints, note cards and stickers. After connecting with fellow artists and creatives in the community, she began to build a loyal following and establish herself in the local art scene.
“I have a very distinctive style that leans more towards urban and graffiti art. I wasn’t sure how it would be received,” she says. “But people didn’t know me, and I quickly stood out. People seemed intrigued by the fact that the desert can have this cool, urban vibe.”
As her business continued to grow, Ginger expanded her offerings to include commissioned murals, hand-painted prints, and screen-printed apparel, including T-shirts, hats, tote bags, jackets and hoodies.
“On a whim, I decided to learn how to screen print. I found a studio in Phoenix that taught screen printing, so I signed up,” she says. “I designed a few shirts just to see how it would go and since then, they’ve taken off like wildfire!”
One of Ginger’s most popular designs is the “I’ll Go Wherever You Go” hoodie. In collaboration with her sister Reagan Hamilton, the sweatshirt shows a vintage car with the words, “The world is so beautiful; where do you want to go?”
Another favorite is the “Wish You Were Here” sweatshirt, complete with saguaro cactus and palm trees, hand drawn in her signature style.
Today, Ginger continues to pursue her passion and share her artwork with the world. From her home studio in Gilbert, she spends her days creating new pieces, fulfilling orders, and teaching art classes at the Art House Gilbert.
Looking ahead, Ginger envisions further expanding her brand and reaching new audiences through collaborations, gallery exhibitions, and retail partnerships.
“It’s a humbling experience, you know? As an artist, you’re always questioning yourself. And then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, you’re making coffee one morning and you suddenly realize, “I’m doing it, I’m actually doing this!”
Photography by Grace Stufkosky
