Artist of the Week: Hollis Kitchin
"I do have a love for the fog and rain here in Southeast Alaska which is reflected in my work but I also draw and sketch everything around me my dog, scraps of fabric, vegetables, scenes around town, rocks I find on the ground."
Presenting our Kindred Artist of the Week series! We are big fans of all the artists we work with and we are so excited to share their stories!
This week we are featuring Hollis Kitchin, a Juneau-based artist whose watercolor paintings have charmed many visitors and residents alike. Hollis is a multi-talented human who finds fulfillment in all the ways her art contributes to the community, such as our recent Kindred Post holiday card or new set pieces for Perseverance Theatre. Read more about Hollis and her work below!
Who are you?
I’m a pluviophile, illustrator, artist, bra fit specialist, and general maker of things.
What do you do?
I paint, draw, and build things. I primarily use watercolors, ink and gouache (a thicker opaque type of watercolor paint) in my work. I have also built props for theater productions using a variety of materials from wood and metal to sugar.
In addition to making visual art I also co-own and run Bustin’ Out Boutique where I specialize in professional bra fittings and get to be involved more one on one with the community of Juneau.
Who/What Inspires You?
For me Inspiration comes from anything and everything, I do have a love for the fog and rain here in Southeast Alaska which is reflected in my work but I also draw and sketch everything around me my dog, scraps of fabric, vegetables, scenes around town, rocks I find on the ground.
What is your favorite moment in the process?
The randomness that watercolor produces. There are definitely ways to control the paint and be very precise but my favorite way to use the paint is to start with an idea and see where the paint takes me. I love to start with a completely wet piece of watercolor paper and just drop color onto it and see which direction it wants to go, let that first layer dry and then let the painting come out of that. I also really enjoy filming timelapses of my work as I make it so others can see the process from start to finish.
What is a trick of your trade or a piece of advice for artists in your medium?
Use more water than you think you need, and work with a test strip of paper until you feel confident with your control of the paint. You can always build up color and intensity with watercolor but it’s very hard to lighten the painting if you go too dark.
What is next?
More creating always! I have an upcoming show at Annie Kaill’s for March’s First Friday and am working on getting more prints made of various paintings and illustrations that I have done.
Hollis will also be a First Friday Artist for Kindred Post in August. Official announcement to come later this year.
See more of her work here!