We were lucky to catch up with Justin Holdren recently and have shared our conversation below.

Justin, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

One of the things I love about art is that you have to be a lifelong student. You learn something new with each piece you create, and that is exciting to me.

When I was first starting out, I was never satisfied with my work. Little did I know, that would remain a constant feeling, because as your skills grow, so does your awareness that you still have so much more to learn and your standards for your work become even more demanding.

This is not a bad thing, as the challenge keeps me striving to improve the quality of my work, hoping that next one will be my “masterpiece”.

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 began drawing as soon as I could hold a pencil. My parents encouraged my creative interests and always made sure I had supplies to draw with, and they bought me my first set of oil paints when I was a teenager.

I went to art school with plans to do graphic design, then became part owner of a graphic design firm with a few of my friends. I loved design, but as it related to painting, not designing fonts and graphics. Around that time, my girlfriend (who is now my wife) was going to visit her parents in Africa, where they were working at the time.

Her parents brought us both to Kenya where we stayed over a month, and my art direction completely changed. The pure sensory overload of the beauty of the landscape, wildlife, and experiences I had there made me decide I wanted to paint the landscape and capture the beauty I saw around me, whether I was traveling or at home in North Carolina.

I started working in the nonprofit world, and continued to study my craft in the evenings and every spare minute I had.
I began showing my work online, doing commission work, and participating in gallery shows every year. I continue to show my work in galleries, as well as my own studio, and also teach art at a local charter school where I live.

I have shown my work with galleries in the southeastern United States and have participated in other shows across the country. I continue to do commissions for fine art, illustration, and have even recently licensed my work to use on apparel for a clothing company.

My primary focus is painting the landscape and I love that because it never gets old. You can create a more traditional landscape, or create more abstracted landscapes. The possibilities are endless.
My painting style tends to be impressionistic, while my mixed media drawings tend to include more line work and details.
Although I do paint and draw other subjects like abstracts, portraits, and still life, the majority of my work is inspired by nature, the landscape, and my travels.

I believe art should be enjoyed by all, and I strive for accessibility in my work. That is why in addition to my larger, gallery works, I also offer small sketches and studies, and make some of my work available as high quality print reproductions. I think everyone should have the chance to have art on their walls that does not come from a big box store.

I wake up excited each day to share the beauty of art with others, and to do work for my amazing collectors and galleries. I love what I do, and I hope it shows in my work.

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

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist, is when someone relates to your work and it makes in impact in their life in some way.

I have had collectors tell me they find an escape in the work, or they find relief from daily stress by escaping into that place in the painting, or it reminds them of a beautiful place from their memories. I have had others say they just find the colors soothing and beautiful.

This is so exciting to me and I love the way art can provide an escape and bring joy. It is so rewarding to put something on a canvas that touches emotion in me, and have it affect someone else in a positive way.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

There are so many ways to support artists other than just purchasing work. If you love an artist’s work, share it with your friends, or share social media posts, newsletters, or videos by that artist. That helps so much more than you will ever know!

An original or print may be out of your budget, but artists benefit so much by having their work shared, which costs nothing, but can really help an artist to sell work and progress in their career.

You could also host an in home show to allow the artist to share their work with your friends who may want to collect their work.
There are so many ways to help create a thriving ecosystem for creatives and artists!

The artist can then provide patronage to other small businesses they work with, and everyone benefits from that cycle.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.justinholdren.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/justinholdrenart
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/justinholdrenstudios
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/jholdrenart
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@justinholdrenstudios