Today we’d like to introduce you to Jean Holland.
Jean, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
Well hello there! I am a 28-year-old full-time self-taught artist. I have always had an intense love affair with color and creating art. Actually, I can remember being four years old and constantly sprawling myself out on the floor with some paper and crayons in every room in our house. And I would draw and scribble anything that came to mind. I also used to trace a lot when I was very young to teach myself how to properly draw different objects that I had trouble with. While creating art is my life, another part of my life is dealing with my mental illness. I am bipolar and struggle daily with really intense anxiety. I remember constantly studying my family’s faces, so terrified of losing them one day, so I would try to memorize every inch of them and how the light hit their faces at different angles. My anxiety gets so bad that it gets quite paralyzing and it prevents me from doing a lot of things. But painting and drawing really help me focus my attention on one solid thing. It gives me a quiet mind. It has given me a genuine purpose. It is this raw hunger that I constantly need to fill, and I honestly cannot imagine doing anything else with my life.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
The majority of the time I work with acrylic paint. I fell in love with it after discovering it so many years ago and is what I feel most comfortable working with. Though I love challenging myself so over the past few years I have been trying to teach myself watercolor and how to draw with markers better. I also love to draw with pencil and pen.
My style is, well, I like to joke that my style is like my moods; all over the place. I have been making art my entire life, but I don’t really have one set style. I love to experiment and discover new ways to create. And when I do that, I am able to constantly learn new things about my own self. I love to paint in immensely vibrant colors, forcing people to really open their eyes and see, literally and figuratively. I feel like I don’t exactly make art that one would normally find hanging in a typical living room. I just want to show how I see this world, the beauty, and even the ugly parts. The world is quite strange and unique, isn’t it? And that is how I see my artwork and how I hope others see it. I am a very shy quiet person, and I am awful at spoken words, so I feel my thoughts and words are spoken, in a way, through my art.
Artists rarely, if ever pursue art for the money. Nonetheless, we all have bills and responsibilities, and many aspiring artists are discouraged from pursuing art due to financial reasons. Any advice or thoughts you’d like to share with prospective artists?
I actually think about this all the time. Finances are a big struggle for many people, especially artists. I know that deciding to focus my life on creating my career in the art world was a big risk. All around, you have people preaching that you are supposed to go to school, get a degree and get a 9 to 5 job. And somehow that is supposed to be all you need to lead a successful, happy life. I personally couldn’t disagree more. Not that there is anything at all wrong with that. That life works for a lot of people. But for me, it’s not enough. And unfortunately choosing a different artistic path tends to equal struggling financially. Now I have been extremely blessed with a family that not only believes in my art but also supports it. But even so, I still struggle. It can be very discouraging. I am in no way saying money is what it’s all about. But I do strive to be able to support myself comfortably. You have to remember that at the end of the day, you got to wake up and do what you love; make art. I may struggle, but I have my passion. It is the reason I keep breathing every day. Remind yourself of every tiny amount of pure joy you get from touching that brush to the canvas. It is the air you breathe deep into your soul. Peace of mind and happiness are so important to me. Why not focus on living a fulfilling life you are proud of? I know that probably sounds really childish. But sometimes having a childlike view of certain things means you get to keep your sanity a little more, I think.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
I currently don’t have my artwork set up anywhere specific, well besides my own home. My most recent art show was about two months ago. I usually do two or three art shows a year, and about three years ago I held my first solo exhibition. As of right now, I post most everything I do on my Instagram dedicated to my artwork at JeanHollandArtOfficial. I also have a Facebook as well at Jean Holland the Artist. Though I keep my Instagram way more currently updated! What began as just a few of my close friends and family knowing about my artwork slowly but surely started spreading to other people and strangers. Word of mouth and posting and sharing my art on social media has helped friends of friends of friends learn about me which is really nice and exciting. I just want to be able to share my art with anyone and everyone.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 713-367-3641
- Instagram: JeanHollandArtOfficial
- Facebook: Jean Holland the Artist
Image Credit:
Jean Holland
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