Today we’d like to introduce you to Holly Nielsen.
Hi Holly, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I have been an artist and lover of creation since I was very young, but I got my big start in 2013 when I went into my first major art class in high school. It only took off from there. I loved drawing and photography and painting and any media that attracted my attention no matter how unique. Things were going so well and I was learning about space and color and shapes and form. I was learning composition and my style and my creativity.
Until I went through trauma. My entire outlook and self changed and I got lost for many years. I took a turn away from traditional art and getting my hands dirty to strictly photography. And even then, I would let the photos sit on disks for years. That was until I finally went off to college and had a rediscovery. I started learning about my mental health and what had happened to me as a kid. I picked up a marker again and started creating.
Then I studied abroad for a year and took thousands of pictures and created more. While all of the creations during this time were great, I have discovered a new motivation within the last year as I have entered the adult world. I rediscovered my passion for traditional materials and all it took was a quick oil pastel drawing.
I became obsessed and immersed once again. I began taking commissions and entertaining the idea of full-time art. I create in colored pencil rich details and I create vibrant watercolor paintings and unique doodles in my sketchbook. I can’t describe what happened completely other than that something clicked and I was a creator again.
All I had to do was make myself start. Now I create several pieces of work a day from sketchbook work to commissions to art just for myself. And the freedom to create is so overwhelming sometimes as ideas continue to flow forth.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. There was a good two years of my life I created not a single piece of art. I was in a dark place trying to process grief and trauma that I had no understanding of at the time. I was afraid to create for there was too much pressure for perfection and to be as good as I was in high school and college.
Therefore my skills waned and I never practiced. It was that oil pastel piece I created that forced me out of that box of needing to see perfection and detail for me to think my work is beautiful. I learned that I can like what I make and it does not have to conform to a standard I may have upheld many years ago.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My work varies so widely, that it is hard to determine my specialties. I have tried just about everything and the art supplies collection I have built up over the years has only grown. Right now I am probably known most for colored pencil drawings and watercolor paintings. Those are the materials I use most for commissions and I love the level of detail I can achieve with colored pencils or the flowing quality of watercolors.
I am currently most proud of my perseverance to create. Not necessarily a specific work. I push myself to be creative in my every day to day life and will continue to practice. I’d say the thing that sets me apart the most from others is the diversity in my work. I draw and paint just about any subject matter, but mainly wildlife and nature scenes. This doesn’t stop me though from drawing and painting other subjects unfamiliar to me because practice always makes you better.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I would say that I am a risk-taker. I take on massive projects whether or not they will work out or not. I am currently working on a series of at least forty works of watercolor art to enter an exhibition. And there are no guarantees there of course.
I could be rejected from the show or not make it into even the juried part of the voting. I think that if you take no risks then there are no rewards. You don’t know if you will fail or not so why not give it a try and find out?
Pricing:
- Colored Pencil Drawing (8″x10″) – $200
- Watercolor Painting (11″x14″) – $150
- Colored Pencil Drawing (11″x14″) – $350
- Watercolor Painting (12″x18″) – $250
- Watercolor Painting (18″x24″) – $400
Contact Info:
- Email: hollynielsenart@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.artpal.com/hollynielsenart/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollyn.creates/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@hollyn.creates
