Hollie Johns was born in York, PA in 1976, when the town was still fairly rural. Her passion for nature and animals was instilled early on, and growing up she expressed this passion through art. She went on to attend the Maryland Institute College of Art where she gained a BFA in general fine arts, with a focus on photography and illustration. Following art school, her plans to be a children’s book illustrator shifted when she was offered an opportunity to take over an art gallery with over 100 artists from her high school art teacher. Hollie had never painted, other than her foundation oil class in college, but she picked up a brush and some inexpensive craft store acrylics, and has been painting ever since.Frequent outings into nature, and long hours in her personal backyard garden, fuel inspiration for new work. “Nature has always provided me with a sort of spiritual wholeness in life. It is always there for me, and the knowledge I gain from quiet observation of my natural surroundings makes me notice the little things that most people would just pass by. I’m always looking at the ground when I am out walking, to see the bugs, the plants, the animal tracks, and the discarded remnants of others. This is where my ideas form, and create little stories in my head as I walk.
Her work explores the dialogue between humans and the earth and presents it in an intimate way. It exudes an honesty that speaks to her sensitivity towards expressing the relationship between the man-made and the natural world. Within her technique, which is mostly self-taught, she makes changes based on her own whims, and the physicality of the paint. While her art holds private undertones based on observation and personal memories, they are presented to the viewers as avenues which they can interpret in their own way.Hollie has run several art galleries in York, Baltimore and Lancaster, but currently lives back in her hometown with her husband Eric and lots and lots of animals. She is a landscaper by day, and co-owns Virtue Local Art Market with her best friend and their husbands.
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