We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jennifer Hohlfelder a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Jennifer thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

I’ve had about five careers in my adult life. I started and sold a company in the early 2000’s after a background in sales. Then worked for 8 years as a bookkeeper before starting my art career in earnest, full time. Having the full spectrum of running a business from sales and marketing to finances, allowed me to grow my outreach and make being an artist a viable profession. It is now my most successful career and the most rewarding, non financially, as well! I really focus on putting myself and my work out there on a daily basis. Those qualities are not inherent in many artists, but if you want to succeed as an artist without a degree in art particularly, it really helps to put your work in front of as many eyes as possible. I started by hanging my art in one hair salon, moved on to coffee shops and hotels, then the shows started to happen. The local business art track gets you the street cred to start applying to shows, or at least build on your CV. You just have to ask – so many businesses love the idea of hanging art for their customers to see!

Jennifer, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I was raised in Boulder, Colorado by artistic parents. They quietly instilled their passion into my life, which I finally started exploring on my own in 2010. After studying with teachers and years of independent studio proactice I started exhibiting publicly to enthusiastic reviews of my fresh approach to figurative work in 2019. I use bright colors in oils that evoke times gone by in both modern impressionistic brush strokes or an impasto method. I rely heavily on nostalgic memories and scenes as inspiration to connect with a viewer through art.

I have now exhibited paintings in coffee houses, hotels, museums and various corporations. My works have appeared in newspapers, magazines, websites, blogs, and newsletters including Maria Shriver’s “Sunday Paper”. Original paintings can be acquired through my website and Serena & Lily online. Select prints can be found at ArtfullyWalls.

I believe this quote sums up my style perfectly: “[Her paintings] evoke a strong sense of nostalgia with a side of gorgeous simplicity. Nothing fussy, no overthinking – and that sparseness is what makes them strong. Her brushstrokes are raw, and her shapes not quite finished – as though they’re images from a memory you can’t quite fully recall, and yet the feeling of being there is whole and complete.” (Kimberly Beekman, Colorado Homes & Lifestyles Magazine, Mar/Apr 2021)

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I started showing my work publicly in 2019. I knew immediately I would need a place for anyone to see my work if they couldn’t see it in person. I built a website through Squarespace just for portfolio purposes to start with. I started an Instagram account by inviting a millenial marketing person over to show me the ropes of social media. The only social media platform I use is Instagram. It serves as my social media portfolio. In my feed, I only post finish works – nothing in progress or unfinished because someone scrolling it needs to know those are only completed paintings. I post works in progress on my stories. I post a story each day (usually not more than one or two). I’ll post process videos or reels now and then. But in the end, my feed needs to be really good photography of the finished paintings I’ve done. No background showing in the main photo – everything needs to be crisp, cropped and clean. I’ve done a few Instagram boosts of posts over the years which for minimal cost can reach lots of people. I don’t do them too often. The key for me is being consistent. A sporadic instagram presence doesn’t create a loyal interested following. Make it interesting and fun – and people love to see you in the act (stories). I post a story every day and one or two photos in my feed per week. Morning or in the middle of the day. I’ve found posting at night doesn’t work as well for visibility. I always repost in my stories if someone shares my work. In the end, make your profile look as professional as possible and carve out a time each day to work on it – I spend about 15 -30 minutes each morning while I’m having my coffee in my “marketing meeting” with my team of one.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I think at this stage in my life, my biggest reward in my artist journey has been how happy my work makes people. I get emails and messages all the time saying how my art has impacted a person/people – collectors and admirers alike. The monetary aspect is a bonus. I’ve had lots of careers in my life and this one is by far the most rewarding in all ways!

Contact Info:

• Website: jenniferhohlfelderart.com
• Instagram: jennifer_hohlfelder_art

Image Credits
John Christopher Studio