Painting lovely lasses with flowing locks is Holly Harper's speciality, and it's fair to say the Sydney-based artist has hit the nail on the well-coiffed head. Here she divulges a few tidbits about her inspiration, the pros and cons of oil painting and the utter importance of doing your own thing.



What is your name and how old are you? Holly Harper, 19 years old.

Where were you born and where do you live now? I was born in Sydney, Australia on the Northern Beaches. I’m still living on the Northern Beaches in a housing estate. Sometimes it feels like ‘The Truman Show’ (the houses all look the same).

How does where you live affect your art? I can’t say that the beach has influenced my work since I never go. However I am surrounded by quirky personalities at my college, which is 10 minutes up the road. I study visual art at C3 College and it’s such a nourishing environment. If I were a sunflower at college I would be pointing up (cause, you know that’s what they do when the sun’s out).

Another major factor in my art process is the fact that I have three aunties and a grandmother who are all artists of different mediums. A potter, watercolour artist, photographer and oil painter. Creativity is certainly in my gene; if that doesn’t affect my art I don’t know what does.

Please describe the space where you do most of your creation – whether it’s your art studio or kitchen bench! I create in my little room. There’s a huge vintage dressing table, a very inconveniently placed bathroom door, double bed, a corner full of unfinished paintings, an easel and my desk. It’s a lot of methodically tip-toeing over disposable palettes and knocking things over (I’m 5’11, it’s inevitable). You can’t really see the floor, but it works for me.

What kind of mediums do you use? Why do you choose to use these mediums? I use oil paint. I prefer it mainly because, compared to acrylic, it doesn’t dry in two seconds. It’s also fantastic for skin tones and blending. Sometimes it’s not so forgiving. One time I painted my cousin and it turned out like the painting of Dorian Grey – at the end of the film.

Is there a running theme to the work you create, or do you just make whatever comes to mind? It’s more of a coherence of colours and ideas. My inspiration comes from social media; I will find beautiful photos of models that fit the idea I have and paint them whilst making it my own. I mainly paint whatever comes to mind and inherently it’s a lot of pastel colours, flowers and demure girls. Somehow they always turn out like myself.

What makes your work unique and truly your own? I’d like to think my precision in detail and the colour palette. I love combining reality and abstract, like a melting face or flowers that are far too big to fit on a head.

How has your style changed over time? The more skills I learn, the more flexibility I have to execute my ideas the way I see them in my head, so naturally my art has evolved – from patterns drawn in pen in high school to pencil drawings in my first year of college and then painting as I am now in my second year.

What do you wish you knew about being an artist before you got started? You can’t get it right the first time, paint costs an arm and a leg and mainly, you can’t compare your work to others. Other people have different strengths and weaknesses – why would you want to create like them when you can create like you!



Do you think people need to understand the artist’s intention to appreciate the art? Not all the time. Unless the intention is expressed explicitly, the audience will draw their own conclusion from your work. I always thought that was the point of art anyway: utilise their imagination, it’s not a one way street.

Are there any other mediums that you’d like to experiment with? I have always wanted to try embroidery!

What’s the coolest art tip you’ve ever received? Learn when to stop. It’s easy to over-paint and not-so easy to fix a painting you stuffed.

Which era of art do you appreciate the most? Romanticism. They are all very dramatic!

What would you be doing if you weren’t making art? I’d probably be a writer or musician.

Where can we see more of your work? hollyharper.bigcartel.com or on Instagram @hollyharper95.