We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Bryan Holland. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Bryan below.

Bryan, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you wish you had started sooner?

I realize that none of us has a crystal ball to see something an alternate past or future that might have been, however, I do wonder how things would be different if I had started my current art career earlier.

Art is always something that I was interested in, drawing was something that I enjoyed from about as far back as I can recall. By the time I was in high school, it was one of my refuges during the day, a class that I truly enjoyed going to. But the art classes that I took did not have much by way of art history or exposure to modern artists, so it was something that I really didn’t understand. By the time I graduated from high school, I decided to purse a degree in graphic design, primarily to avoid the “starving artist” stereotype.

I did enjoy the 2 year program I was in, and would say the 2 things that I enjoyed the most was illustration and creating text by hand. But finding a rewarding job after graduating after proved to be difficult. After about 5 years, I finally ended up doing the type of work I thought I wanted upon graduation. However, I soon became disillusioned as I could not see myself doing this indefinitely nor where else I would go from there. So I ended up quitting my full time job with benefits and enrolled at a local 4 year college and started taking general education classes to see what else there was in life.

It was in college that I finally became exposed to fine art in a way I hadn’t before, and taking an art class filled me with a joy and excitement that I had not felt in a very long time. A number of years after graduating from college, I enrolled in a graduate school art program and received an MFA in painting. This was 10 years after I graduated from high school.

What would my art look like today if I had pursued art in college instead of graphic design at a 2 year school? What would that 10 year “head start” look like today? I know that my art and my life would be different, but exactly how? Well, that’s the question that I can only ponder.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Currently, I reside in Minnesota where I primarily create layered oil paintings that are a mix of collage, image transfer or other experimentation. My work often incorporates realistic painting techniques fused with design element such as text, patterns, and decorative motifs, which serve to create tension both visually and thematically.

I received a Master of Fine Arts in painting from the University of South Dakota, a Bachelor of Arts degree from USF/Augustana University, and a degree in graphic design from Alexandria Technical and Community College. This varied experience helped shape my aesthetic.

In addition to being an artist, I have also worked as a graphic artist, a college professor, and a gallery owner. Most recently, I helped establish and continue to plan and organize a local open studio event in my home town. I am also on the board of a newly founded artist alliance.

My work is available through my website or through one of the galleries I work with. In addition, I also work with clients directly through commission work.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

One of the things I generally enjoy most in my career is creative problem solving, whether in my capacity as a visual artist, graphic artist, teacher or event planner. The other aspect of that is implementing or trying out solutions. Sometimes the solutions may need to revisited again, but ultimately the end result is a product of my own trial and error.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

While not ignorant of art museums and galleries, I wish I’d had more opportunity (and perhaps interest) to visit them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bryanhollandarts.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bryanhollandarts/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bryanhollandarts
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanhollandarts/