Today we’d like to introduce you to Steph Holmes.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve been carrying a sketchbook with me for the last twenty years. The oldest sketchbook in my collection features a wobbly diagram of the fort I was building out in the woods behind my childhood home. Back then the best part of my summers were spent exploring the creek bed, looking at insects, running through fields of weeds taller than myself, and checking my hair for spiders afterward.
I never stopped exploring the woods or drawing in sketchbooks, and today my younger self would be happy to know that I’m still an artist. Though my materials and techniques have certainly evolved, I maintain that same vision of the world. Now I make artwork that borrows from those childhood memories while I insert an extra dose of humor, strangeness, and whimsy.
Today I work out of my art studio in York, PA. In my paintings you’ll find a lot of birds, insects, and bright colors inspired by my hikes.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have certainly been some bumps along my path, but what good story doesn’t have those twists and turns?
Ultimately, the biggest obstacle I face has always been myself. I’ve always struggled to understand what I want to say and where my place in the world is as an artist (and a person). I get too caught up in overthinking, over-analyzing, and over-conceptualizing everything and it can freeze me up for a season if I’m not careful.
It always makes me laugh though when I realize why I’m stuck, and then I suddenly see so clearly how to get back on track and past the art block. My intuition will always lead me back to making the kind of work that I would have loved as a kid.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I make artwork that exudes a love for living things and I back that up by working hard to make my business eco-conscious. I want to make sure my carbon footprint and impact on the natural world is as small as possible while still having the ability to share my vision. This means eco-friendly packaging (recycled, recyclable and biodegradable), secondhand art supplies whenever possible, and hosting secondhand art supply swaps for creatives of all kinds.
I’m working to discover how to be a maker, to be a consumer, and to still treat the Earth with kindness. Though I’m by no means perfect at this, I trust that the incremental changes I continue to make will make a difference and hopefully make it easier for others to do the same.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
As a kid, I grew up immersed in other worlds whether I was reading fantasy novels, exploring another world in a video game, or building a makeshift home for deer in the meadow.
My earliest art influences all had fairy tales in common. Brian Froud and Arthur Rackham were two of my favorite artists because the worlds each of them created felt so believable and whimsical! Naturally, I spent many of my recesses in the art room working on projects and could be found drawing after school on pages and pages of printer paper.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.stephholmes.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/stephholmes.art
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/stephholmes.art
