Thursday, March 17, 2022

Meet Artist Holly Johbnston

O-033 minstrel_life by Holly Johnston acr 12x9 $175

             Holly Johnston is a local artist living in Murphys. She is excited to share her painting “Minstrel Life” which is an homage to the other art forms she draws inspiration from. In this piece she wanted to challenge herself to explore realism and still life while incorporating her personality and passions. The mandolin represents her love for music and the three knives her passion for juggling and living life to the fullest – and slightly on the edge. 

            As a child Holly always loved to draw. She took classes in watercolors for several years from Martha Wallace. Since then she has been primarily self-taught with the occasional class and input from her artistic brother Jesse. Holly decided to branch out into acrylics in her 20’s.Not long after, her aunt was kind enough to give her a massive set of paints and brushes for Christmas which inspired her to further develop herself as a painter. 

             She enjoys exploring different subjects and challenging herself to make each piece unique and beautiful. The last couple of years she has been working on collaborative pieces with her fiancĂ©e Jeremiah Heath, one of which is featured in this year’s Daffodil art display. 

             Besides painting Holly loves to garden and spend time outdoors. She finds joy in bringing beauty and abundance from the earth. She also has a passion for the performance arts. A juggler, she has performed across the globe from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland to the local Black Bart Playhouse. Holly may also be seen in the local theater community, most recently with Shakespeare on the Vine. She also loves to play and listen to music, and enjoys exploring a wide variety of styles and genres. 

             Holly hopes to express in her art the passion that she feels for what she loves.

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