I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing the wonderful Hollie Johns about her interesting illustrations. Check out the interview below!
1. Tell us a bit about yourself and how you became an artist. What inspires you to create?
I suppose, like a lot of other kids, I always liked to create when I was young, and I was lucky enough to have parents that fed the creativity flame, because they are both creative as well. I was an only child until I was 11 and went to a Montessori School (for those of you who don’t know what that is, look it up! It’s amazing!). Because I didn’t go to a public school, my friends lived all over the county, especially after we moved out of the rural neighborhood and into a 250 year old farmhouse way out of town. I spent a lot of time in the creek and springhouse, making up stories and building forts to entertain my animal friends. I am so happy that I grew up in the 70’s and 80’s before computers and video games and such. I think all of this has contributed to my being an artist.
2. Are you self taught or did you study art? Do you think that art is a subject that can be taught or does it have to developed independently?
Both, I guess. I had taken art is school like all kids, and had some private drawing lessons for about 1 year when I was in highschool. When I decided to go to college I knew I wanted to go to Art School, and I applied a few places and got into all of them, however it was just around the time when everyone was moving to computer generated art and illustration, and I wanted to go to a fine art school. I ended up choosing MICA, and because it was a fine art college, I had to go a month early and take an oil-painting class because I had no painting in my portfolio. To make a long story short, my professor took me aside and told me that I didn’t belong in this school, and I would never make it. He told me I had no idea how to use color either. I didn’t give up but I never took another painting class in my life. Fast forward 4 years, and now that I am out of college and trying to make it as a children’s book illustrator, and realizing how hard that was, I picked up my mom’s craft paints and I’ve been painting for 22 years (still using craftstore acrylic paint).
3. What is the most challenging aspect of being an artist and is there anything you don’t like about it?
I’m not a graphic artist/computer illustrator, and it is really hard for me to make a living as an artist these days. I did graphic design for two major companies in the early 2000’s, and they liked my portfolio enough to train me on the job. These days, nobody wants to do that and technology moves so fast! One of the biggest problems for me is that a lot of things that used to be done by hand, are all done on the computer. For example, I used to like entering contests for things like label art or poster art. Every time I try to do that now I have to try to figure out how to resize it or change the dpi or some such thing I know nothing about!
4. Your work is very heavily inspired by nature and the act of observing the world around you. Why do you think that nature is such an important catalyst for your work and how do you hope to expand and develop upon this theme in your work?
My first love is nature, and it is a very spiritual and personal connection. If I could live in a tent in the woods for the rest of my life, I would because it is home to me. The older I get and the more commitments I have, the less time I have to enjoy it. Everything is so connected, and the human race as a whole has become so detached and disrespectful of it.
I really enjoy exploring the dialogue between the human/manmade world and the natural world. A lot of my pieces in the past were about memories and nostalgia,
however I am now starting to think bigger and try to work on things that are still personal to me but will reach a broader audience. . It may sound cliche, but I really believe veryone needs to respect our planet, or we are going to be in much worse shape than we are now, very soon. The earth gives us gifts every second of every day, and so many of us just rape her for everything we can get from her and give no love in return.
A HUGE topic that I am going to start exploring more in 2021 is Colony Collapse Disorder. I have always been a big bee nerd, and my husband and I are getting ready to get our first hive next year now that we have a yard and own a house. This is something that is very near and dear to my heart. I’d also like to do more murals, but with all of the restrictions right now, that may have to wait until later.
What kind of questions are you asking through your art and what do you hope that people will get from your work?
I guess there was a period of time where I was asking questions, but I feel like now I am giving answers. I think I’m trying to tell people that if they really want to be grounded and happy, they need look no further than their backyard or a local park. There is a definitely a silliness to some of my work, meant to just make people smile, however when I create personal work it really is all about connection to self and nature. I want to entice people into seeing the natural world the way I see it, because through understanding things we have more respect for them.
Also, do you think that being creative has changed the way you view the world?
Absolutely. I see things everywhere that other people pass over. I’m always looking at the ground, which is mostly because I like to find bugs and feathers and other little treasures. I have bowls of them. Some day I will categorise all of them, but really, they just make me feel comfortable. Sometimes I will just pull out a box or a bowl and look through it. It’s like having memories and ideas in boxes. When I am confused as to what to do next in a painting or drawing, having these tangible reminders helps a lot…especially when I don’t have time to go for a walk or go into the woods.
5. It’s really interesting to note that you are not a full time artist, but are employed as a nurse. How do you manage to balance such a demanding and, especially nowadays, critical job, with being an artist?
Do you see your art as a cathartic release from your job, and would you like to do art full time?
Also, do you think that having a day job is more helpful for your creative practice, as you are able to remove yourself from the creative process and would you like to be an artist full time?
This whole subject has always been a toss up for me. (And I have to say that since I am typing all of these answers out at work in my spare time, this all may sound a little bit disjointed! But I do not have a computer at home, so this was the best option).
After spending the first 10 years after college trying to make a creative career work, and trying to have that BIG art job or that BIG art business, I decided that I would do whatever I needed to do to make money so that I could be creative in my free time. I always thought I’d save enough to do it full time at some point, or that I would somehow find my niche and do well enough to live off of it. Neither of those things ever happened. In retrospect, everything happens for a reason, and I love that I have learned how to do so many things and have had so many experiences.
Among other things, I’ve worked as a floral designer, landscaper, merchandising manager, horseback battlefield tour guide, bookstore manager, and loads of retail, of course. I found myself working a job as an assistant manager at a pet food store about 4 years ago. I loved my job, my co-workers were like family, but it was taking up so much time and energy, and as the company grew, it treated it’s employees with less and less appreciation. I decided to go back to nursing because I work at a private practice and I have “normal” hours. I can help people, have my benefits and still have time for art, family and friends. When I was working creative jobs, art was not as cathartic, now it is again. However, I am actually (despite what is going on in the world) in a happier place with my life than I have been in a long time, and do not feel the need to have a cathartic release as much as I did in the past. I work and create because I love to do it. I do, very much, wish that I had more time to create at this point in my life.
I try to get up between 4:30 and 5am so I can paint and do some yoga before work, and I try to squeeze it in at lunch and on the weekends too. When I was single and renting an apartment I would stay up late and paint and I got a lot more done. I am happily married (5 years this Halloween), and my husband and I bought our first house about 1 year ago. I really think it comes down to what kind of work/life balance you want to have for yourself. As much as I could easily stay in my studio every waking hour that I have off, there are more important things in my life that I do not want to miss out on! Could I be a better artist if I spent more time doing it? Should I take some classes to refesh my perspecive, color theory, anatomy…etc? Yes, of course! And maybe when I get a little older and am not as active, I will take the time to do so. Right now is about experimentation to me.
I will also, most likely, always have a part-time job. I find that getting out and away from myself helps a lot. I have panic disorder and it took me a long time to battle that, but if I stay at home too much and hermit myself away it tends to get really bad, especially over the winter.
6. You often take on commissioned work, and some of your pieces, such as your chairs and plates are especially phenomenal. What do you look for in a potential client and how do you decide if a job is worth doing?
I learned a long time ago that people are more apt to buy something useful than they are a piece to hang on a wall somewhere. I used to paint on a lot of wooden boxes and furniture, but my source closed up shop a few years ago. I started painting on the plates because they are easy to get at thrift stores and I have a lot of friends who junk-hunt or go to auction. They will buy stuff for me, or buy a lot from the auction and give me anything they don’t want so that I can paint on it. This also keeps my prices down, which is a big bonus in my mind. I’ve always been of the mindset that I’d rather sell 10 things at $25 than one thing at $100. As far as potential dream clients? Over the years I have realised that I do not take on a commission if it is something I am going to hate doing. It’s not fun, and it never turns out well. I end up being embarrassed that it’s not my best effort and then I’m not happy and I feel like I am cheating the client.
Also, what has been your favourite commission you’ve created so far and how does the process of creating commissioned differ from your personal work?
When I am creating a commission, I am working one on one with the client. E-mails and images are exchanged throughout the process. I am not a sketcher, so at times I make more work for myself, having to re-do areas or change things during the process.
I am not sure what my favorite commission has been, however I just finished a double cat portrait for a friend to give to her boyfriend for his birthday. He has two Lykoi cats (i.e. werewolf cats) and loves all things dark and spooky! I made a tryptich and used a small wooden plaque in the middle with two cat paws on a ouija planchette. It was so much fun! (I’ll attach a pic!)
7. Extremely interestingly, you had the opportunity to take over an art gallery, which seems to be a very pivotal experience in your artistic journey. Can you talk a little bit about this opportunity and how it has impacted your life and creative practice?
I think I have always been much better at pushing/promoting other people than I am at pushing myself. I am an empath and a caregiver at heart, and although I was unable to have children, I want to ‘mother’ everyone and take care of them. Thats how I felt about taking over that gallery. It was like finding t he family I had lost when leaving Art College. It’s how I found that I LOVE working with other artists on that level. I get excited to push their work, and it was like Christmas getting in new work to display. It led me to help out with many more galleries and artsy gift shops over the years. It was not at all what I wanted to do when I graduated, but it was a chance to do something, and I needed something to do. I was back in my hometown and struggling a lot. I was so depressed about not getting any responses from sending out scads of postcards and resumes to companies I thought would help me break into the children’s book illustration world. I was battling anorexia horribly, and I was depressed about leaving school. My family was all I had at that time, and my Mom was my saving grace. I still don’t know how she put up with me (lol!). I threw everything I had into it making that space work, and tried my hardest. But I had a lot of living and learning to do about myself and the world, and in the end I had to give it up for a few years to learn and experience more life.
Also, what has this experience taught you about the business side of art and has it affected the way that you approach image making?
It taught me that the business side of art is about 75% of it, and that I wish I had been forced to take business and marketing in College. Long after I had my first gallery, I opened another one and was doing very well. I took on a partner to help out, who didn’t really participate much, but she wanted to support the arts, and I was happy to have her. Fast Forward a few years and I am in the hospital very ill with some stomach bug, and going through a divorce. This all happened right around the time that the gallery was supposed to be divided into two galleries because I really wanted to grow. I got out of the hospital and found out that my partner had gone to the bank and put everything in her name, a month before we were supposed to divide and conquer. I was kicked out of my own business that I had grown from the ground up, and left with nothing. One thing you need to remember is to always, always cover your own butt. I am a very trusting person, and it had helped me get far in many aspects of my life, but it has most definitely hurt me many times as well. Also, having a good support system is so very important. Being an artist can have a lot of ups and downs, professionally. If you don’t have people to back you up, it’s easy to fall. I think when you try to make art your business, it can be easy to get stuck in the habit of trying to make everything saleable and forgetting why you wanted to be an artist in the first place. It is so hard to feel like you’re not good enough and that you are doing everything wrong…especially with social media always looming.
8. Social media is an extremely important part of being a creative.
What are your thoughts on social media and how has it impacted your practice? Is it something you enjoy and how do you balance creating work with interacting with your audience?
I don’t have a lot of time to spend on social media, and there are time I feel like I should dedicate more time to it. Honestly, growing up I didn’t have a computer until I was out of college. I’ve never been a tech-savvy person, unless you count the years I worked in the field and as soon as I stopped doing it for a living, I didn’t keep up with it. Growing up, we did things in person. You didn’t submit things through email to people you never met. You made an appointment and took your portfolio in to show the gallery owner or the person interviewing you. I really feel like doing all of this on social media takes away from the experience of being an artist for me.
At the same time, I love that we can reach farther and broader audiences. I like that I have friends I met through art challenges on Instagram in London and Poland and even across the US that I never would have met if not for social media. I love that if I want to source a tiger for a painting I don’t have to go to the zoo or the library. I can look up a photo of a tiger and the anatomy of the tiger draw it in any position I want to for a painting. It does make life a lot easier.
9. Do you think that the online landscape of the internet has has a significant impact upon the way that people view, interact and relate to art?
Do people still value the time and effort it takes to create something?
I think when you take the “people” part and the live conversation part out of the experience it can change everything. I was in Rhode Island on a trip with my Father years ago, and he took me to visit artists that were living and working in the town we went to. One of the more well established artists said to us “I always have a story to tell about each piece. Sometimes those stories actually sell the pieces, because people like to show off the art they purchase to their friends at dinner parties and have a story to tell them about it” Now, I don’t have the kind of clients that throw fancy parties to show off their art collection, but I do think that stories can make a piece. I can play devils advocate on any of my answers, so this is all my opinion, and just that. But I think that part of what makes art important and special is the connection the viewer makes with the piece and the artist. I also think that seeing a piece in person really makes you appreciate all the small details that are put into a piece and the little nuances that you see you could never see on a screen. Having said all of that, I really do think it is wonderful that we can all connect in a different way by using social media. I just think that everything in life should be balanced and done in moderation. Part of me really fears losing all human contact, especially now in the climate we are living in.
10. What does it mean to be a successful artist? Has your idea of success changed since you first started creating art?
I used to think becoming a successful artist was all about making a lot of money and having your work in lots of publications and plastered all over the pages of magazines like Juxtapoz and Hi-Fructose. I think everyones idea of success is so different. Having your work in a magazine or a gallery is such an amazing opportunity to get your work out for others to see and hopefully enjoy. Money is important, no matter how much some of us hate that it is. Over the years I have realised what makes me feel successful is accomplishing a piece and actually liking it! Even better than that is selling that piece to someone else who loves it, and seeing the expression on their face when they take it home. Knowing that you touched someones heart.
Also, how do you measure the success of an image, especially when you post it online and how much attention do you give social media stats?
I’m always amazed that the pieces that get the most likes are hardly ever the ones that I like the best myself.
11. In your opinion, what makes a good piece of art? What was the last image/piece of media that captivated you and what was it about it that left an impression on you?
Anything that draws me in. I love small intricate pieces with lots of detail. But it could be something as simple as a color scheme. I’ve recently been digging being a part of Mab Graves Drawloween Club. It’s my third year and I find so many new art crushes every time.
12. At the time of writing, we are currently in the middle of a global pandemic with the continuation of Covid-19, which has impacted various industries across the world.
Not only that, but we are currently in the end phases of voting for our next president here in the united states, and let me tell you, it is a crap-shoot. I worry about what is going to happen here in the next few weeks.
How has this crisis affected you, both personally and professionally, and what is the biggest shift you’ve seen in the creative industry during this time?
I mentioned before I have panic disorder that I really battled more when I was younger. I think above everything else, it has really increased my anxiety. I have to admit that I am not a news-watcher. I work in the public so anything I need to hear, I hear 30 times a day. If there is something that sounds fishy, or something I just don’t understand I look it up or I’ll ask someone who I trust what they have seen and heard. But it has been REALLY hard to get away from all of this. The media in the US is horrid. There is a just negativity being blasted in every single direction and it is hard to get away from it. I have backed away from social media more than I ever had in the past. But I have seen a lot of good in the creative industry as well. I have seen people getting together to have small open-air art and craft shows. There have a been a lot of virtual art shows too, which is kind of cool because you can see stuff you wouldn’t have seen before if you couldn’t travel. And because of everything being closed you can see certain communities rallying around their small businesses trying to support them and keep them going. It’s been a strange experiment in pushing people apart in some way and yet pulling them together in other ways.
13. Would you say that you create art primarily for yourself or for others, and at what point does an artist’s work become influenced by those who view it?
There is a definite separation in the work I do just for me and the work I do for others. I actually feel like I try harder when it is for someone else, but I also feel like sometimes I flow a lot better when I am doing personal work because I am not holding myself to someone else’s expectations. I like to be aware of trends, but I don’t like to follow them. It’s kind of a happy accident if my work “fits in” with a trend.
I don’t feel like my work changes or is influenced by those who view it, but I do think that my work changes depending on what I am viewing.
Also, do you care about your work being original and how do you make sure that your work is not a copy of someone else’s?
I love looking at books and magazines, and although I’m not a big social media person I love spending a few hours on a day off getting lost in Pinterest. I’m sure that my work is influenced by the things I see. I don’t copy anyone else, but I definitely draw ideas from images I see. I feel like when I was younger and life wasn’t so busy I didn’t need to do this. As I’ve gotten older and I have to fill me brain with work stuff and appointments and bills and everything else, I have a lot less time to dream things up. I like to use Pinterest as a spark!
Additionally, what do you think the role of the artist is in this current society? Why is art important?
I’m honestly not sure what the role of the artist in current society is. I believe art is important for different reasons, and the biggest reason to do it now is because we need an outlet for our pain and worry and stress. I see a lot more of my friends and acquaintances turning towards creativity, and I love it. It is a wonderful release.
14. Is it important for an artist to have a message in their work and if so, how do you find the balance between creating work that is meaningful to others yet also part of your cohesive narrative?
(see answer below)
Should an artist create what sells or should their work be constantly evolving and how has your own work evolved since you first started?
When I started college, I hit some bumps. I can remember one assignment in colour theory class when I was laughed at because I stated the reason I picked a David Bowie song and the colour purple to base the daily assignment on was because I loved the song and purple was my favourite colour. Growing up, art to me was just an expression of what was inside my head. It didn’t have to be deep or meaningful all the time. After that everything changed. I was all about making trying to tell complex stories with my art. I would spend hours dreaming up lists of symbolism and trying to weave it into my paintings. And I drove myself crazy! Haha!
My Mom used to try to coerce me into doing “cute little things” to sell and I would turn my nose up. There came a point in my life when I realised I had to separate my personal work from my sellable work. If I wanted to make money off of my art/ make a living off of my art I had to bend a little. I realised that it was okay if some images were just pretty and it was okay if the only reason I painted something was because I liked it. It didn’t have to all be about my personal narrative…but in a way, it still was. You’re drawn to different things at different times in your life for different reasons. A lot of it is unconscious, but as you look back you can usually draw a pattern and see that everything you were doing at that time was being done for a reason.
15. Do you have a question for the next creative I interview?
I love hearing the advice people have been given, and have learned a lot from listening to podcasts where people reveal this info. What is the best advice that you have been given? How did you take this advice and make it part of your life?
16. What are you currently working on and where can people find out more information about you and your work?
Wow, now that Halloween is over I’m gearing up for the holidays. I stopped taking commissions last week, because I really want to focus on my own work right now.
My instagram is beestung_7 https://www.instagram.com/beestung_7/
I just opened a little holiday shop on Facebook as well. I’ve never sold on-line before so this is all new for me!