Airen Hall
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withoutaladder.bsky.social
Airen Hall
@withoutaladder.bsky.social
570 followers 320 following 280 posts
Writer. Illustrator. Wild Feminist. Book lover. 1 wife, 3 kids, 3 cats. (She/her)

http://withoutaladder.com/portfolio/
http://instagram.com/withoutaladder/
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withoutaladder.bsky.social
Airen Hall @withoutaladder.bsky.social · Oct 9
Only a day late to #PortfolioDay! I create collaged illustration made of paper I paint and hand cut. I am especially interested in #kidlitart, but I also do private commissions.

www.instagram.com/withoutaladd...
www.withoutaladder.com
Cut paper illustration showing a young girl with a braid throwing her arms to the sky. Blue blossoms are scattering around her. She is standing on a stone wall surrounded by trees. Cut paper illustration showing children playing outside in the snow. Two are huddled in a snow fort, while the other three have snowballs in hand, ready to throw them. A red bird watches from a tree branch. Cut paper illustration showing three children at a lemonade stand. One is waiting for customers, one is carrying a bucket of lemons, and one has stolen a cup to drink herself. Cut paper illustration shows a girl in a red and white dress launching a lit paper lantern into the night sky.
Reposted by Airen Hall
withoutaladder.bsky.social
2025 has been such a crazy year! Some really difficult times in my personal life. Some amazing moments with my art life. I created some pieces I am really proud of this year. I am grateful for the time & space I have to make art & for the lovely people who have supported me. #ArtVSArtist2025
A 3x3 grid shows nine different images. In the center the image is a photograph of Airen Hall, a middle-aged white woman with dark hair, looking upward. The other pictures are various cut paper collage illustrations: a boy with a snowdrop, a woman with a snake, a girl doing a rain dance, a dwarf by a waterfall, Death personified, a ghostly woman with a lantern, an Earth goddess, and a woman looking out to a sailing ship.
December 29, 2025 at 5:46 PM
withoutaladder.bsky.social
2025 has been such a crazy year! Some really difficult times in my personal life. Some amazing moments with my art life. I created some pieces I am really proud of this year. I am grateful for the time & space I have to make art & for the lovely people who have supported me. #ArtVSArtist2025
A 3x3 grid shows nine different images. In the center the image is a photograph of Airen Hall, a middle-aged white woman with dark hair, looking upward. The other pictures are various cut paper collage illustrations: a boy with a snowdrop, a woman with a snake, a girl doing a rain dance, a dwarf by a waterfall, Death personified, a ghostly woman with a lantern, an Earth goddess, and a woman looking out to a sailing ship.
December 29, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Reposted by Airen Hall
kitboyd.bsky.social
Here's to peace this Christmas.

Phases of the Moon - Winter Song, a unique hand coloured version of my etching which I made into my card this year.
December 25, 2025 at 10:04 AM
Reposted by Airen Hall
cirthador1453.bsky.social
Merry Yuletide to all, may the light beat back the darkness!
December 25, 2025 at 12:24 PM
Reposted by Airen Hall
nicolechung.bsky.social
a very happy The Fellowship Sets Forth from Rivendell Day (December 25) to all who celebrate
Screenshot from The Lord of the Rings Appendices [3018] October 1 Gandalf leaves Bree. 3 He is attacked at night on Weathertop. 6 The camp under Weathertop attacked at night. Frodo wounded. 9 Glorfindel leaves Rivendell. 11 He drives the Riders off the Bridge of Mitheithel. 13 Frodo crosses the Bridge. 18 Glorfindel finds Frodo at dusk. Gandalf reaches Rivendell. 20 Escape across the Ford of Bruinen. 24 Frodo recovers and wakes. Boromir arrives in Rivendell at night. 25 Council of Elrond. December 25 The Company of the Ring leaves Rivendell at dusk.
December 26, 2024 at 2:40 AM
withoutaladder.bsky.social
Merry Christmas Eve! Whether or not you are celebrating, I wish you a stack of wonderful things.
A cut paper collage illustration shows a big stack of presents in brightly colored wrapping paper. There are three cats, an orange one sniffing a bow, a black one pawing at some ribbon, and a grey one hiding under the boxes.
December 24, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Reposted by Airen Hall
jamberee13.bsky.social
Not making New Year’s resolutions, but pacts with ancient forest gods, alliances with scheming wizards, bargains with charming archdevils
December 22, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Reposted by Airen Hall
monicabyrne13.bsky.social
YES to that last repost from @tressiemcphd.bsky.social. Relatedly, I gave this talk all the way back in 2018.

(Back then, ‘AI movies’ meant movies about AI, not movies made with AI 🥴)
I want to draw especial attention to the treatment of AI—artificial intelligence—in these narratives. Think of Ex Machina or Blade Runner. I spoke at TED two years in a row, and one year, there were back-to-back talks about whether or not AI was going to evolve out of control and “kill us all.” I realized that that scenario is just something I have never been afraid of. And at the same moment, I noticed that the people who are terrified of machine super-intelligence are almost exclusively white men. I don’t think anxiety about AI is really about AI at all. I think it’s certain white men’s displaced anxiety upon realizing that women and people of color have, and have always had, sentience, and are beginning to act on it on scales that they’re unprepared for. There’s a reason that AI is almost exclusively gendered as female, in fiction and in life. There’s a reason they’re almost exclusively in service positions, in fiction and in life. I’m not worried about how we’re going to treat AI some distant day, I’m worried about how we treat other humans, now, today, all over the world, far worse than anything that’s depicted in AI movies. It matters that still, the vast majority of science fiction narratives that appear in popular culture are imagined by, written by, directed by, and funded by white men who interpret the crumbling of their world as the crumbling of the world.
December 19, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Reposted by Airen Hall
illuhaus.bsky.social
#Peace be with you in this sad #2025holiday season. #Hope you may find small #joy. This is from my old #Christmascards collection.

#childrensart #picturebookart #childrensillustration #picturebookillustration #childrensbookillustration #childrensbookart #kidslitart #kidlitillustration
A girl is carrying a Christmas branch with a dog and birds. Joy holiday card.
December 16, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Reposted by Airen Hall
brandtandstein.com
Also, congratulations everyone who made something this year. A comic, a song, a film, a novel, a painting, a poem, a short story, a sculpture, crochet, embroidery, whatever it is. In this era of slop and theft, if you *make* something you are a shining jewel and I am so grateful for you.
December 11, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Reposted by Airen Hall
minovskyarticle.bsky.social
The handmade, human qualities of your work are more valuable than they've ever been. Don't doubt that for a second.
December 11, 2025 at 4:54 PM
withoutaladder.bsky.social
It was another fantastic #FolktaleWeek. I really loved participating this year and I'm so glad I made the time to do it.
#FolktaleWeek2025
A collection of the seven folktale week cut paper collage illustrations I made
November 24, 2025 at 11:11 PM
withoutaladder.bsky.social
Amen!
hels.bsky.social Helen Rosner @hels.bsky.social · Nov 24
You know what’s ripe for a comeback is the Wolves of Willoughby Chase series by Joan Aiken. Smart & non-condescending YA, fantastical without being fantasy, dark and Dickensian as hell, extremely lefty and anticapitalist, a full dozen sequels, amazing Edward Gorey covers.
Absolutely killer book cover design with two bundled-up Victorian girls atop a white snowdrift against a red sky, while freaky-ass wolves with red tongues circle below. The hand-lettering reads “The Wolves of Willoughby Chase / Joan Aiken”
November 24, 2025 at 5:35 PM
withoutaladder.bsky.social
Final day of #FolktaleWeek2025: DAWN. I was happy to see this prompt because I had already been thinking of doing a piece with the Roman goddess Aurora and her winged chariot. Synchronicity!
#folktaleweek #mythology
A cut paper collage illustration depicting Aurora, Roman goddess of the dawn. She is standing, riding through the sky on a chariot with golden wings. She wear white robes and a golden sun goes before her.
November 23, 2025 at 1:39 PM
withoutaladder.bsky.social
Can't believe we're already on Day 6 of #FolktaleWeek2025: STORM. I did a depiction of the Cailleach, or Storm Hag. She is a figure from Gaelic/Celtic mythology.
#folktaleweek
A cut paper collage illustration shows an old woman surrounded by big clouds in the dark sky. Snow is coming from her towards a tower on a mountainside.
November 22, 2025 at 12:33 PM
withoutaladder.bsky.social
#FolktaleWeek2025, Day 5: Charm!

I chose to depict the Norse legend of Andvari, a dwarf who lived under a waterfall and had a magic ring called Andvaranaut. The ring is the charm, and you can see it better in the close-up below. 😊 #folktaleweek #Norsemythology
A cut paper collage illustration shows a dwarf near a waterfall.
November 21, 2025 at 10:39 PM
withoutaladder.bsky.social
Day 4 of #FolktaleWeek2025: BOOK. I do a lot of bookshelves to sell at markets of various sizes and kinds. I have done a couple other "witch's bookshelf" pieces, but I made this one specifically for #folktaleweek. Yay books!
A cut paper collage illustration showing a "witch's bookshelf" - there are books, plants, an assortment of bottles, a cauldron, etc.
November 20, 2025 at 10:33 PM
withoutaladder.bsky.social
#FolktaleWeek2025, Day 3. The prompt is Rain. I went with a depiction of the peperuna, a Slavic rain dance ritual (so fascinating to learn about!) I'm not sure the full effect of the piece comes through in a picture online. It is probably my favorite of my seven #folktaleweek pieces this year.
A cut paper collage illustration shows a young girl dancing. Her hair swirls around her. She wears a white dress covered in green leaves and white flowers.
November 19, 2025 at 11:10 PM
Reposted by Airen Hall
withoutaladder.bsky.social
Day 2 of #FolktaleWeek2025!

The prompt today is ECHO. I chose to do a version of the fairytale "Diamonds and Toads" that I am calling "Serpents & Snakes." The gift one sister gets is echoed by the curse on the other sister.

#folktaleweek #folktaleweekecho #cutpapercollage
A cut paper illustration showing two women, back to back, in a forest. The girl on the left is blonde and wearing a red dress, and snakes and bugs are coming out of her mouth. The sister on the right is brunette and wearing a blue dress and a white shawl, and flowers and gems are coming out of her mouth.
November 18, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Reposted by Airen Hall
withoutaladder.bsky.social
Hooray, it's #FolktaleWeek2025! My favorite art prompt event of the year.

The prompt today is NIGHT. I chose the story of the Lady & the Lantern, an old ghost story with several versions.

I painted, cut, and collaged an assortment of papers for this piece.

#folktaleweek #folktaleweeknight
A cut paper collage illustration shows a ghostly woman in a dress on a rocky beach. She is carrying a lantern. A lighthouse glows in the background.
November 17, 2025 at 6:44 PM
withoutaladder.bsky.social
Day 2 of #FolktaleWeek2025!

The prompt today is ECHO. I chose to do a version of the fairytale "Diamonds and Toads" that I am calling "Serpents & Snakes." The gift one sister gets is echoed by the curse on the other sister.

#folktaleweek #folktaleweekecho #cutpapercollage
A cut paper illustration showing two women, back to back, in a forest. The girl on the left is blonde and wearing a red dress, and snakes and bugs are coming out of her mouth. The sister on the right is brunette and wearing a blue dress and a white shawl, and flowers and gems are coming out of her mouth.
November 18, 2025 at 2:45 PM
withoutaladder.bsky.social
Hooray, it's #FolktaleWeek2025! My favorite art prompt event of the year.

The prompt today is NIGHT. I chose the story of the Lady & the Lantern, an old ghost story with several versions.

I painted, cut, and collaged an assortment of papers for this piece.

#folktaleweek #folktaleweeknight
A cut paper collage illustration shows a ghostly woman in a dress on a rocky beach. She is carrying a lantern. A lighthouse glows in the background.
November 17, 2025 at 6:44 PM
withoutaladder.bsky.social
Heading into a busy holiday market season with five markets coming up. If you're in the DMV, hope to see you at one of them!
without a ladder studio Upcoming Winter Markets Nov 13-15: Strathmore Museums & Makers Nov 16: WCCC Artisan Market Nov 22: CCUMC Holiday Bazaar Dec 13: Van Ness Main Street Holiday Pop-up DETAILS Nov 13-15: Strathmore Museums & Makers 10am-6pm daily The Mansion at Strathmore 10701 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852 Nov 16: WCCC Artisan Market 11am-5pm Women's Club of Chevy Chase 7931 Connectivut Ave, Chevy Chase, MD 20815 Nov 22: CCUMC Holiday Bazaar 9am-2pm Chevy Chase United Methodist Church 7001 Connectivut Ave, Chevy Chase MD Dec 6-7: Greenbelt Sparkle Mart Sat 10am-5pm & Sun 10am-4pm Greenbelt Community Center 15 Crescent Rd. Greenbelt MD Dec 13 Van Ness Main Street Holiday Pop-up 10am-3pm 4340 Connecticut Ave, DC (INDOORS)
November 9, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Reposted by Airen Hall
debbieohi.com
My favorite #DaylightSavingTime trailer ever.

youtu.be/uh5aN83Q8Sw

#Uplift
Daylight Saving Spring Forward
YouTube video by Positively Osceola
youtu.be
November 2, 2025 at 12:45 PM
Reposted by Airen Hall
bilboyaga.bsky.social
Many things are being destroyed & the news of it is a psychological & political onslaught.

So it’s important that you create things.

It can be art, cookies, a community pantry, a garden, a mask bloc. It can be beautiful, practical, silly. Just create & share.

It’ll do your brain & the world good.
October 10, 2025 at 3:09 PM