We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Holly Harris. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Holly below.
Hi Holly, thanks for joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
Oh my goodness…I think I’ve always known but I’d say for sure when I was in high-school…a very, very long time ago. However, I was thrown a curve ball and it took me almost 35 years to get to where I am today, a practicing full-time artist.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I grew up on Cape Cod, one of four children, often referred to as the ‘quite one’ because it wasn’t uncommon for me to be sitting quietly with a pencil and paper somewhere sketching. I think I get a lot of that from my grandmother and my father., both enjoyed sketching. I remember my grandmother being so encouraging of my drawing and later my painting.
Out of high school I was accepted to three art schools in the northeast, I was so disappointed realizing I couldn’t afford to go to any of them and I had no knowledge or understanding of financial aid. I wanted a college education so I went to a community college in Massachusetts that had a good, albeit limiting, art program . To pay for my education, I spent summers painting signs for local businesses. As I recall these included a gas stations’ tow truck door panel signs’, a motels’ billboard sign and a campgrounds’ way-finding signs. I was pretty cool with that…I was outside in the summer, making money and had a paint brush in my hand. Life was good.
As the weather got colder, I had to find work indoors that would not interfere with my class schedule.. I took a job as a front desk clerk at a small hotel. As life often does, I got thrown a curve ball and found myself on a very different path. This little hotel front desk job catapulted me into a very successful career in the hospitality industry, in which I stayed for 20+ years. I married, divorced, moved to Florida re-married, raised a beautiful daughter, and went back to school to earn a BS in Business, which as you can imagine, left little time or energy to follow my artistic passion.
I got to a point where I was feeling unsettled and complacent with the career path I found myself on. I wanted to re-energize my creative side. So, I went back to school for a degree in Interior Design. I soon found myself blending skill sets working with other designers and architects designing hotel interiors. During the 2008 recession, I lost my full time position with the architectural firm I was working with. When I was released, I asked if they had any projects that they would need an interior designer on contract to call me. They kept me busy with contract work for 7 years. This prompted me to open my own firm, HOLLY HARRIS DESIGNS, LLC, specializing in hospitality and high-end residential interiors. During this time, I was re-introduced to the art that I loved and incorporated pieces in the design of interior spaces I designed. It was through the encouragement of my husband and a couple of creative ladies I met through my interior design work that I picked up my brushes again. Once I did, I couldn’t put them down again. I began exhibiting at ArtServe Fort Lauderdale and several FatVillage Art Walks as a featured artist.
Two years ago, when my husband and I moved to Milwaukee, I decided to pivot focus moving away from full time interior designer/part time artist to full time artist / part time interior designer. I took a small studio which is located in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward, a creative community, surrounded by other creatives and galleries. The community has embraced what I do and I’m able to sustain my practice with commissions and Gallery Nights. As I mentioned earlier…it took me a very long time to fulfill my passion as a professional artist but I wouldn’t have changed a thing. I believe my art is fueled by my life experiences, people I’ve met along the way and the places I’ve have the wonderful opportunity to visit.
What I’m most proud of with my work is it’s honesty. It is, for the most part, emotionally driven, sometimes stimulated by music, a poem I read [or wrote], conversation or everyday observances, I create my work in hopes of creating a piece that exudes an intentional obscurity allowing the viewer to experiences the piece for themselves and respond based on their own perceptions and emotions, not mine. As a self taught artist, I draw inspiration from that which speaks to me. I may have a basic idea of what I envision on the canvas, but I allow my first brush strokes to take me on an unintentional journey.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
Actually, it’s more a preconceived idea. that needed to be dispelled more so than a lesson needing to be unlearned. Through out my journey, I carried this preconceived idea with me which, as I came to realize, was debilitating and a huge stop for me. The rules…what tool am I ‘supposed’ to use, what method am I ‘supposed’ to use, what to do with all the rules I don’t know about painting, sketching,…blah blah blah, So daunting. I really wanted to paint large canvases but found it so difficult to start because of these damn perceived rules that I knew little about. So…I figured maybe if I took a class that would help me get unstuck. After the first class I said to the art teacher…”I really want to paint bigger canvases but I don’t know what the rules are. Where do I start?” He smiled and said something to this day I’ll never forget…I actually giggle a bit and roll my eyes. He said simply said…”Get a bigger brush, more paint and bigger substrate…” I must have looked dumbfounded to him when I said, “So there are no rules?” He grinned and walked away. To this day, the rules in MY studio are…there are no rules but to be honest with what you’re doing…explore your options and find your voice.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
I find it particularly curious that so many people ask me for the meaning or intention behind a piece of art I’ve created, What was I, the artist, thinking. I struggle with this question because when I create something I’m doing so honestly and often without specific intention. I let the piece take me where it will in it’s obscurity, which is quite often a very different place than it may take the viewer. Don’t get me wrong, many artists create with intention or as a response to social issues or personal cause. I create because I enjoy the journey the piece takes me on. I would like to encourage my viewers to consider how the piece makes them feel…where does it take them…what emotions does it stir up for them.
Contact Info:
- Website: artisthollyharris.com
- Instagram: @artisthollyharris
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hollydiannharris
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hollyharrisdesigner/
Image Credits
All originals by Holly Diann Harris.