Local Art. Two of my favorite things combined. The talented Holly Grantham is here today to give us a brief insight into the vibrant alcohol ink art she creates. We are so in love with her work and honored to have her greeting cards for sale at MO Swag. If you haven’t met her, I’m so excited for you! She’s an original and so talented.
“Creativity takes courage.”
Holly Grantham
Holly is a wife, mom of three boys, snapper of photos, and coming-of-age writer, and artist. After years in Atlanta where she attended college, married and lived in an intentional community, she found her way back to her home state of Missouri. She now lives in an antebellum stone house and is slowly collecting tattoos.
Q: How long have you lived in Jefferson City?
A: I have lived in Jefferson City since late 2008. I am originally from St. Louis, but moved to Jefferson City from Atlanta, Georgia.
Artist Credit: Holly Grantham
“I feel that my biggest accomplishment is simply STARTING.”
Q: What has been your biggest accomplishment?
A: I feel that my biggest accomplishment has been simply STARTING. I’m a bit of a late bloomer. For many years, my primary focus has been raising and educating my three boys. But I have been shifting gears these last few years as my family has grown and matured. The idea that I could start something new at this stage in my life was one I resisted, but once I started making art, there was no turning back. Once you unleash joy and wonder in your life, it’s pretty much impossible to box that back up.
Q: Who are your mentors?
A: Pretty simply--anyone who dares to create and share that with the world. It takes mad courage to put your heart and soul on display, but our community desperately needs creators, now more than ever. More specifically, two local figures who have expanded my mind and heart space are Suzanne Luther, creator of Four Quarters Art House, and Stephen Erangey, owner of Gumbo Bottoms Ale House and Gallery. These two took a chance on me and believed in my work from the beginning and it has made all the difference.
Artist Credit: Holly Grantham
Q: How do you get motivated?
A: I look for beauty. There is so much beauty, all around us—in our shared humanity, in the natural world, in music, in poetry, in laughter—and it is all there for the gathering. I pray that I never stop looking for it because I will never find it all. Not in this lifetime.
Q: What do you think Jeff City needs?
A: I think Jefferson City needs its own music festival, complete with performance and visual art, food and drink vendors, the whole shebang. I believe we are ready for it.
Artist Credit: Holly Grantham
As an artist I have always been intrigued by the dynamic of light, color and emotion. Together, these relationships, gathered and remembered, have shaped my writing, photography and the art you see here (alcohol ink on acetate). Artistically, I find alcohol ink to be a vibrant medium for channeling my observations of the world around me. Alive with passion and instinct, the works displayed here are simultaneously bold and textured. The ink and I work together to expand, grow, bloom.
Don’t we all desire that kind of invitation? Consider these pieces your way into such a space.
To own a your own piece of Holly Grantham art, look no further than 619 E Capitol Ave. They’re a great way to drop a friendly line and share a piece of artwork.
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