Hollis Bliss
 

I have loved art and making art since I was first able to hold a pencil. Having had wonderful mentors and teachers along the way, I wound up with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Visual Communications Design from Florida State University. After fifteen years of working as a commercial illustrator, designer, and art director I received a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Florida A & M University. Following twenty years of working in the field of forensic architecture I retired to travel, and to really learn how to make art. I soon realized that, while my education and careers gave me valuable tools, my experiences in the wider world were showing me how to be an artist. I love the beauty and complexities of both man-made and natural environments, and something sensual happens when they share the dance floor exquisitely. But when all is said and done my greatest inspirations and pleasures in making art come solely from Mother Nature. When held against her work, mine is rustic and humble, and an expression of my deepest admiration.

 

As a painter I’m drawn to all things natural, and I prefer to use rustic and less refined materials, such as vintage recycled wood panels, brown craft paper, and raw canvas. I am fascinated by the interaction between the paint and the unrefined surfaces.

 

As a photographer I’m attracted to the immediacy of smartphone images. Having used non-digital and digital cameras, the challenge of capturing an image on the fly with my phone is too seductive.