Today we’d like to introduce you to Peyton Holley.
Peyton, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
The start of my art career began on my grandparents’ back porch. While my parents were off at work, I would spend hours coloring to my heart’s content while watching the busyness at the bird feeders. Art has been my driving force ever since I could hold a pencil. I often would sketch on homework assignments and school papers when an idea would strike me during my K-12 years. While most of my training was self driven, I was fiercely encouraged and guided by my elementary school art teacher Mrs. Harper and my high school art teacher Mrs. Borgognoni (both of whom I keep in contact with to this day). When it came time to choose a post-secondary venture, there was fear knowing my adoration for the arts would be up against the doubts of myself and others.
With the encouragement of my loved ones and teachers, I enrolled in the art program at the University of North Georgia. I created my first painting in August of 2020 under the guidance of my professor Craig Wilson. It was a medium I had avoided out of fear of mistakes and messiness, but upon trying was instantly enamored. During my years on campus, I developed a devotion to traditional art mediums and the richness of art history. My subject matter evolved as my desires and values cemented. Working as a stablehand transformed into painting farm life and incorporating the American West into my work. My passion for cigars shifted into portrait work of the community and ultimately became the theme of my senior capstone. I graduated with my BFA in Drawing and Painting with a Minor in Art History in 2023. The foundation of who I am as an artist was laid here.
As of today, I am a working painter and printmaker now focusing on cowboy culture and the human condition. My studio is one of several in a 110-year old brick parsonage in downtown Gainesville at the Art Colony Georgia. Since graduating, I also became a certified retail tobacconist and work part-time for Smitty’s Cigar Lounge in Gainesville. There are many more career hurdles to jump over, but I am one step closer than the day before. As one of my favorite theologians Charles Spurgeon said, “By perseverance the snail reached the ark”.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My career thus far has felt akin to tripping while walking up a staircase. Progress is being made in an upward trajectory, but with a sense of haste and volatility. My main battle in art circles around my decades-long conflict with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. While O.C.D. is often perceived as a quirky character trait, the reality is far more burdensome. As a child, works would be trashed for a perceived irreparable flaw. There are times my hand washing compulsions have made it difficult to grasp a pencil. However, I have slowly chipped away at these mental chains and idealist traits, making significant strides in healing. Painting has played a crucial role in alleviating the suffering I have experienced. Rarely do I find almost complete silence in my mind. Nine times out of ten, these moments occur when I am lost in mark making. Art is a central mender.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
As I’ve mentioned earlier, most of my work now revolves around American Western themes and deeper spiritual meanings. Previously, my subject matter was strictly cigar portraiture and farm landscapes. These elements are still in the work I’m currently releasing (more to come in the fall), but aren’t in the spotlight. When it comes to mediums, I primarily work in water-based paints, charcoal, and ink. Most know me for creating acrylic works that resemble the blending of oil materials with an added gestural quality. While I don’t have a particular work I’m most proud of, there are a handful of paintings that represent to me the breakthrough of “just one more”. The “turning point” painting for me was one of my dear friend Medora, the last piece I crafted in 2021. It marked the start of my combined love of portraiture, paint, and premium cigars. There is stability in my concepts and the mediums I choose today, but I still have a lifetime of exploration and reinvention. That is what I love most.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
When it comes to work resources, I primarily pull my inspiration from books. My laptop is useful for Spotify and reference images, but otherwise I am bound by “old school” methods. There are three books in my library that have rewired my thought process about art and life. The first is Josef Albers’ “Interaction of Color”. I was introduced to this book in my first college art course on 2-D design. Since studying Albers’ observations, I have taken a more scientific approach to the relationship of color. The second book is “Art & Fear” by David Bayles and Ted Orland. This book was given to me in my later college days while I was wrestling with conceptual meaning and the purpose of creation. This book grounds me when my thoughts are tossed around by the wind of “what ifs”. Lastly, my favorite personal work is “A Quiet Mind to Suffer With” by John Andrew Bryant. While not directly informing my art practice, it has brought me to a deeper understanding of O.C.D. through a theological lens. The symbolism used in his writing has crept into my current artwork and has been an excellent means to achieve deeper conversation.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.peytonholley.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peyton.holley/
