Hollie Johns

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.”