Hillary Scott was our latest guests on our BoldBrush Live! program. As a paid subscriber, we are happy to provide not only the video replay but the full transcript of the insightful session with Hillary below. Please keep in mind the transcripts are generated by AI so there may be some typos.
Creatively,
Clint Watson
BoldBrush Founder & Creativity Fanatic
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Olya Konell 00:00
Hillary, welcome everyone to BoldBrush LIVE. And today, we have a special guest with us, Hillary Scott. She is one of our signature artists. We'll be interviewing her, asking her some questions. She was, not too long ago, appeared on our boldbrush Show podcast. So I'll be sharing the recording with you guys as well, if you want to check that out after this particular webinar and listen to it at your own discretion, on your own schedule. I meant so there's a few things that I like to do before we dive into our actual webinar, because we have a combination of customers and non customers here. This webinar is open to all artists. And just tell you guys a little bit about boldbrush and who we are. Boldbrush, we are a company that our goal is to inspire artists, to inspire the world. I know, like it says here, and we do that by offering tools and resources paid in free so out of the free resources, we have this webinar, we have our podcast, we offer if you go to boldbrush.com and I'll share all of these links in our chat, I don't have a helper today, so, um, bear with me here as I share links. So the first link is to boldbrush.com you we offer the boldbrush letter, which is our newsletter. You can subscribe as free or paid. And if you have to leave or you want access to the recording, make sure you're at least subscribed to the free one. If you're not already a bulb brush or Faso customer, if you have a FASO website, you're going to get this in your email or through the video library in our marketing center. So also, we offer the boldbrush video. The cool thing about our contest is you can, if you're even if you're not one of our customers, you still get a free entry. And you can find that link on our website. Boldbrush.com we get a lot of collectors and galleries looking at these, and a lot of galleries will actually use this to find new artists. So it's a really great opportunity to put your art out there, which we're going to be talking a lot about. And then for products, we offer Faso websites. This is a platform that Clint built from the ground up. And then we also offer Squarespace sites where there it's called artful Squarespace by boldbrush video, and it allows you to take advantage of all of our marketing resources, our marketing community, which is the boldbrush video of marketing, which has videos, tools, a marketing calendar, you know, support, critiques, all of this stuff on top of the advanced site at a much discounted rate. If you have a Squarespace site, you can actually bring it under our umbrella to take advantage of this, or you can, you know, join if you don't have one. So lots of different options. The whole point is to help you sell your art and get it out there. So thanks for bearing with me and listening to all that information. There we have Hillary's website, and I'm going to O share that with you right now as I get ready to introduce her. So welcome Hilary. So this is Hillary Scott. She is our featured artist today. Her work is amazing. I would love Hillary for you to tell us a little bit about yourself.
Hillary Scott 03:16
Um, so I got my start as an illustrator. I've always been into creating something, you know, music, art, just acting like, I just love the arts. So, you know, at some point I had to pick a lane. So I was, I went to college for art, and I wasn't sure what I was going to do yet. I just know I loved that. That was what I love to do more than anything. So I just naturally gravitated towards illustration, just because I like, you know, stories. I like to make things up. I like to, you know, just imagine different things. So that just seemed to be like my natural inclination. So I spent many years doing that. And, you know, over time I just started, you know, keeping my eyes out for other art, like I was very I had a bunch of illustrators that I love to be inspired by, follow children's book illustrators. And then, you know, as I started getting out there, seeing galleries, I started, like, noticing our like, landscape art and just, you know, fine art. I guess there's illustration, and there's fine art, and and I was like, Oh, gee, I think some of it was really inspiring. And I was like, I think I want to try my hand at it and using my skill set as an illustrator. And I think that's where there was a disconnect. There was definitely a gap in my knowledge that I needed to figure out. And so, just to make a long story short, I just started taking some workshops, and over a 10 year period of time, that's where I, you know, kind of had to gain a skill set that was conducive to creating, you know, a landscape like a what would be. Sort of fine art painting. Just what I see upside that, you know, is more realism based, as opposed to imaginative fantasy art. Yeah, and that's what we're doing, and I'm still trying to get better at it. It's just, it's going to be a lifelong thing. Obviously, there's no end point, like, I feel like there's no real destination with this. So it's just always trying to get better at what I do, trying to, like, you know, just push the envelope and get uncomfortable, and just keep creating scenes that that inspire me.
Olya Konell 05:35
yeah, and inspire others, which is, yeah.
Hillary Scott 05:38
I mean, I do. I love, I love to inspire other people to to just even inspire people who are uncertain as to whether this is a feasible career option for them. Because I, I know there's a lot of chatter out that, you know, it's not easy. Nothing is easy. And my whole life, I've known that this is what I wanted my endgame to be. But there's just a lot of criticism out there, a lot of people kind of projecting their own biases onto you, and so you have to navigate that, in addition to trying to just get better at your craft. So you've got a bunch of forces at you that are, like, very discouraging, and it can really bring you down sometimes. So, but I just, I just think there's a strength in knowing what you're after and seeing other people that have done it. It's not like I'm the first person that's ever done this. I just, I'm inspired by other people who've done this before me and have succeeded. And so I want to inspire other people who are just up H O H and coming and trying to, you know, wanting something that other people may discourage them from trying and and I just want to prove to myself and to other people that you can do hard things and you can do things everyone tells you you can't do absolutely.
Olya Konell 06:48
And I feel that, yeah, yeah. In the art, you know, in the art world, especially for us as artists, we get, we get a lot of that. We get a lot of the you can't make money as an artist. So as a child, growing up, I remember being told that, and I, I do art on the side. You know, the some it's, it's my stress relief. A lot of, actually, of the staff at boldbrush and Faso are artists as well, which just looks kind of nice. But I remember that was the the common narrative is like, you can't do this. So I really appreciate, you know, this attitude that you have that like, Hey, I looked up to some people. I've gotten to this place. I want to help others do the same. But I love this about just the art community in general. It is so supportive. So, yeah, yeah, no, that is that? Is it such an inspiring story? And I love that you have this different background, and I'd love to kind of hear how your illustration later on, kind of influenced your painting? Or did you just have to shift shift entirely? Do you think there's anything that you learned that's somehow Yeah,
Hillary Scott 07:51
I feel like you are who you are. So if you painted, you know what I like. Sometimes I am, like, trashing on my old paintings. I'm like, those just sucked and like, I tear them apart honestly, but when I really think about it, I'm like, and I look at my work today, I still can see part of that person infused in these paintings just because of my vision, like I feel like every artist brings their own unique vision to the table. And so while my style has changed and the way people perceive my paintings has changed. I still I see little parts of that, of that vision and that like I kind of aspire to a dream like quality with my paintings that is a little bit imaginative but also very believable. So I think what I was lacking was a skill set on how to execute the paintings so that they were perceived as like this could be real, but at the same time, I bring in my own unique vision, which is some imagination. And the only way that I was able to do that believably was to take a full break from the illustration and learn skills that we're going to be able to so that I could take what I'm seeing outside and bring that to my paintings, and also bring an element of some imagination in there, and just like, fuse the two together. But that has taken me 10 years to do. So it's like, try to do that. It's crazy that I think it's like, it's already been 10 years. It's just gone by so fast. But I think you really hunker down and you just focus in on a goal. Like, you're just not worried about the time frame, like, worry about how long it's going to take. Like, no, it's just, you just do what you need to do, and you try to get you try to enjoy the process and love the process of doing it with all the ups and downs. So, yeah, it's been a long learning like, very slow learning curve.
Olya Konell 09:40
But this is a reminder, though, to artists, I'm glad you're sharing this. So art is not a you know, whether everything marketing, you know, getting good at art, it's not something you're going to accomplish in a year. This is a long game. And so throughout this whole 10 year time frame, you've also built, been building your artistic reputation, you know, by putting. Self out there doing all those things. So if anybody thinks that they can go from knowing, knowing who they are to all of a sudden having this sense of, you know, this notoriety, like it takes work and it takes time, but we also want to remind you that it is doable. And so this, I'm, yeah, absolutely doable.
Hillary Scott 10:17
It's definitely doable, but you really need to, I mean, I have to say I have so many pearls of wisdom, I guess, from like, the highs and the lows, and there are real lows, like, I'm telling you, there were times where I wanted to quit. I really wanted to quit. I was, you know, as you're just getting out there, as you're you're learning how to do something, you're going to fail a lot. You have to get okay with that, because before you're very good at something, you're going to be very bad at something. And some people have a problem with that, like their ego gets in the way. They just don't want to be bad or to be perceived as, like, incompetent. But the only way out is through, and not that. I'm out, because I'm like, I'm still, there are many pains. I'm in the trenches. And I'm like, I can't figure them out, but I just, yeah, there's just, there's just been 10 years of, like, extreme lows and extreme highs, and then you just have to kind of somewhere, live in the middle there and just, like, really, just be in it for the process and love the process, and just settle in.
Olya Konell 11:16
Yeah, you have to know what year you have to have a why, which on those hard days is reminds you of why that you are doing this, and anything worth doing is hard. So I mean you. And just to also, I wanted to add a person could embark to be, to become an artist, and without any intention of ever selling or making money off of it. And that's a completely, you know, almost So, not completely separate, but it is. There's a different level or lack of certain pressures than if you are I actually want this to be my career, and neither one is wrong. Absolutely. It's just a matter of personal preference than your own personal dreams and goals. So yeah, yeah, um, the I wanted to really quickly kind of ask, because you have some things coming up. So I want to share with our audience, just in case we go over. Somebody leaves early. I don't want to miss this. You have some events coming up. You have a show on September the 21st where you have, and this is a really great opportunity for someone to get, to get a painting, because tell us about it.
Hillary Scott 12:19
So I'm doing the live auction, a new report, Art Association, and the naa is where I started this whole thing. So this was where I kind of ended my illustration career, and kind of tried to break in, and that was the first place I ever exhibited. Oh, wow, today. So my illustrations there, so I go way back. O H O H It's really where my start was. You know, it's trying to conquer your local market. So it's write a new report right there where I'm from. And so I donated a painting. It's the it is their biggest fundraiser. So yeah, it's a great opportunity to get a painting for less than what you would pay in a gallery, because it is a donation. And usually live auctions, it's a bidding thing. So they start at a certain point. And again, it's, if you know, you can check out that website and see all the paintings. Mine is a 24 by 30, so large, largest painting that I have in there for the live auction. It's a really fun event. I have to say, it's,
Olya Konell 13:11
yeah, I love that. This is the first event that you got started in and and I want to actually pause and talk about events in general, a lot of artists when they think, well, just donating something or offering something at maybe a lower price for some event or opportunity, there's different, mixed opinions. Some people are like, Oh, I don't want to discount my art, even if it's for this nonprofit event. While others might think this is a great marketing opportunity, and we think it is a great marketing opportunity, because they're helping you gain exposure. So is so this is their biggest event. They do it every year, and do they take artists from different places? Or do you have to be local?
Hillary Scott 13:53
I'm not, you know, I generally it is local. It kind of had so many artists at one point doing this live auction that the it was too long. So, like, part of it just took too long with the whole bidding thing. So I think they started doing invite only. So then it became, like, you know, you had to be invited to do it. Oh, wow. Honestly, you know, I be to be completely transparent. Like, I mean, I do have my galleries that, you know, they get a certain price point. I'm very consistent with my pricing. But for a fundraiser like this, sometimes I will take a painting that you know, that has, it's maybe a year or two older, and hasn't sold so and I give that to the auction. And it's, again, I would never put a bad painting, like something that I didn't like and I was ashamed of, and I would put it in there, but I think it's a good painting. It's just a brand new. Paintings that I do are not going to go to like a fundraiser, like, exactly, yeah, yeah. I'm trying to balance the whole Yeah. I get to make a living, but at the same time, I do want to have work in all these different events. So here's a balancing act and and this is the I chose this painting for this event.
Olya Konell 15:00
Yeah, and you could also for anybody that's trying to process. So how does this benefit the artist? Think about how much money people pay to put an ad somewhere, whether it be on Facebook or whether it be for a magazine or whether it be at a local event. You know, a lot of times you could sponsor events and put stuff in so that almost any change in the pricing or income to you becomes like your marketing fee, essentially, you're getting that exposure. And it's really cool to see that they started out a little bit more grassroots, and now it's become something that's invite only. So in so for an artist in their local area, they could probably just do a Google search, look at auction, art auctions in whatever program,
Hillary Scott 15:38
HOH association, art auction, live auction, you know, or their website, new report, art.org, I think it is,
Olya Konell 15:45
yeah, and I'm sharing that link right now, yeah. And then, if, if anybody, let's just say you don't live in Newbury, but you're thinking about getting involved in live auctions yourself. Do a Google search and put in your city or your county, or whatever, your state, and then put in live art, live art auction, and just see what comes up, and how do you participate? But definitely check that out. That's a really cool opportunity. And then you have the runway for the recovery show, which is another event going through the month of October, correct?
Hillary Scott 16:16
Yeah, first cancer month. And so this is a show for that's going to donate money from every sale to that so I Yeah, so, you know, I am connected design. She's awesome. She does. I love what she's doing. She's a designer, interior designer, and she also opened a gallery. She's a lover, very supportive of my career. So, yeah, just a plug for her show. I will have a large painting, which I'm trying to finish. This painting behind me right here, trying to finish that because, you know, I told her I was gonna give her a large piece. So I have to finish this up. And I think I want to give her this and for the month of October.
Olya Konell 16:55
That's exciting. Wow, that's amazing. Thank you. Yeah, I, you know, just want to reiterate to reiterate to everybody listening, this is so in the boldbrush video, we have a thing called the boldbrush video. It's almost like an infographic, and we have these illustrations that outline, you know, the different ways you can market your work. And what Hillary is doing right now is a perfect example of one of the big ones. And a lot of artists get pigeonholed into only posting on social media or only participating in galleries when there's so many other opportunities out there. And I kind of want to have you talk about that a little bit. You know, you have a very strong, I would say, opinion about like, participating in as many things as you can. So, I mean, is that ultimately been kind of what's led to your commercial success?
Hillary Scott 17:43
Yeah, I think so, just to get to get, like, expand my horizon. So at first I started locally. It was just the new report Art Association, and then a gallery, a new report reached out to me, so he was doing, you know, local shows. And then as I got more confident with my work I started, somebody had said to me, you know, you should think about maybe some national shows, and those were intimidating. I was like, good enough for that, but you know what? At some point you just have to do it. And even if you get rejected, which I actually did the first time I got rejected from that, you just keep trying to get in. And so I you do have to be aware of the work that you like. I can't do everything. Sometimes I have to say no to shows because I don't have enough work, and it will just cause such anxiety, like trying to, like speed paint, which detracts from the quality. So you have to keep in mind, like, you know what is realistic for you, but like, if I have a painting available, I'm going to enter a show. Like, I'm going to, you know, I entered the magazine. I know that for the longest time, even when I was an illustrator, I would read International Artist Magazine, and I look at their competition as they do through the year, it was like they had all different ones. They have portraits, they've still lives, they have landscapes. And so when I went into the landscape painting, I would always read that, and I was like, Oh, my God. What would what? How awesome would it be to, like, be able to place in this contest? Yeah, so started entering and, and I couldn't believe when I got some like, callback. I was like, you are in your finalist. Like, you're going to enter, you are made the short list for this. And so I was in the running to win. Like, you know, you get first, second, third, and then a bunch of finalists. So I was like, this is just like, incredible. I'm like, I couldn't even believe that I made it that far, and then I ended up winning second place twice in that and, you know, then you get, when you win, you get an article in American art collector. So I'm just saying that, like, you just enter everything. I enter oil appearance of America national show, the American tonalist society, like all of these different shows, you just have to put yourself out there. Even if you get rejected, you just can't let that get you down. And just that's, that's the best advice is just to like, yeah, just go for
Olya Konell 19:58
Just go for it. And all. So with with rejection. So the people that are making these decisions, if you get rejected, just remind yourself that this is just someone's opinion, because they thought this is what they were looking for versus what I have specifically. So rejection is so subjective to the people that are reviewing the applicants, that doesn't mean necessarily that you shouldn't do a try next year. You know it really rejection is it shouldn't even matter as much as it does. It's inevitable,
Hillary Scott 20:31
yeah, but you have to build a tough skin, like, I mean it for I remember I cried tears like there were some shows even the new birth Art Association. So before all this national show stop. I entered the regional show, which is their most competitive show, and the first time I entered that, I got rejected, and I cried and and I was like, Oh my God. This sucks. Like, this feels horrible. I'm like, I'm rejected. And all I have friends that got in, and it just was like, it was like, you've got it. And so after a certain point, though, you just almost get used to it, and you just build up a tough scan, and you just move on immediately.
Olya Konell 21:04
Yeah, and I have somebody asking in the chat, so or saying, national shows are very expensive to participate in, entry fees, fuel, motel, food, parking issues and time, you know, they feel that it makes a zero sum game. So how did you balance that? You know? Did you start out with picking less expensive ones and then working up, or,
Hillary Scott 21:23
Oh, you're right, it does. Hold on a second, Elana, can you turn that down? O H O H Oh, you're right, it does. Hold on a second, Elana, can you turn that down?
Olya Konell 21:31
Turn it off, which is a really valid question. So thank you.
Hillary Scott 21:35
So I'm gonna so All right, I if you go to the national show, I sounded like they're talking about actually attending the show. So there's entering to be in the show, and then there's attending the show, which is a huge expense, but yeah, I I, if you have a larger painting, the first time I entered, and I got into oil painters America national show, I was, I was like, I'm going to go all out. I'm like, a 24 by 36 I don't think I'm going to get in. So I'm just going to enter this. And I really did not think I was going to get in. And then I got it. So I'm like, oh my god, I have to pay to ship this big painting, you know, across the country. And so I got a frame, I got one of those expensive boxes, and I did it, and I didn't sell the painting. So it was like, I was in the hole for quite a lot, but it did get my work on the map. And so I, you know, and then the painting eventually sold. But I have to say that the the next few times that I did enter that I sold a painting Apple show, so I made up financially. For sure, I didn't. I haven't attended a national show yet, just because, like, you know, my kids are doing, it was just personal stuff. Like, what am I tied up into my kids sports and, like, we're renovating a house and all these things. So I haven't been able to, but I want to, but, you know, sometimes they're local, like, there's one in New York City that I did and and I took the train, and it was, it was an awesome experience. So, yeah, it's, um, it is, it is expensive, especially if you're shipping a painting, but at the same time, you have to think about the audience, that you're expanding your audience. Like I sent a painting to California, and it was an expensive painting. It got damaged on the way. There's just a lot of things involved in it, but it's and then it sold to a collector in California. So I think, all in all, and it, it got me more people that, like, were interested in my work. Like, it got me additional collectors to, you know, yeah,
Olya Konell 23:20
and you only need a hit a handful of real collecting collectors to to you really don't need that. Many people think you need 1000s of collectors. No, you you unless you're painting 1000s of paintings, you know, every year. But that's a good point. So just to respond to that comment, yeah, think about this as your opportunity. So yes, you have fees, but that is the, I guess, price you pay for for being in the room with these people that actually buy art, and most of them go there for the sole purpose of, I want to leave with a painting. So yeah, and it's no different in any other industry. So if you're going to attend a conference to network and connect with people that might invest in your business, if you're some kind of, you know, non art business, it's the same kind of thing, you know, you have to buy the suit or the you have to go to the place, you have to pay the entry fee. You know,
Hillary Scott 24:17
Ben, I know it is definitely a consideration. Sometimes you do question, I'm like, is it worth it? I'm spending like, hundreds of dollars on, like, shipping this, and then if it doesn't sell, then it comes back to me. And that does happen. But also, I sent a painting down to South Carolina for comes back to me. And that does happen. But also, I sent a painting down to South Carolina for the national show two years ago, Big Snow painting, and it sold on the first day for a really high price. And then, you know, I have a gallery reached out to me down there, because they're like, I had some customers, collectors coming in and asking, you know, if we carry your work, as I was down there national show. So ultimately, I think that more positive results than like a loss. But I think that there is money you have to spend money to just, you know, there is the cost of entry. Me for, like, getting, getting, you know, in there and trying to, like, compete on that national level, and it's that that's just, you know, and I'm okay with that, yeah, because it all ends. I feel like it all balances out in the end.
Olya Konell 25:13
Yeah, so when you're measuring, and this is the perspective shift that I hope, you know, inspires you guys that are, that are listening because you're playing the long game, and, you know, and Hillary's been playing the long game, you're not measuring your success at a show or at an event or with a gallery just based on that one event or that one time frame that you are there. You're actually you're looking at it over the next 10 years, over the next 15 years. Is this going to benefit me? And yes, if you're meeting, if you're meeting new people through this activity, and it's the right people, it definitely makes it worth it. But obviously you have to, you know, that might mean having a side job until things take off to a point. It might mean budgeting and saving, and those are the hard things that we just talked about that you have to kind of, that's where you have to remember your why, when you're doing doing these hard things
Hillary Scott 26:06
and materials, like, I mean, the frames, like, just everything. It's not a, it's not a cheap, like, hobby, yeah, and they're paying all this money, you know, for supplies, paint, just all this stuff. But every year, like, in what I'm investing in all of that, and I'm just slowly getting better. Every single year, you're getting a little bit better. I feel like every year I make more, like I make, I sell more paintings every year for higher price. So over time, it's like, it's a very slow incline, like it's this, and so that's and all of those shows that I've had to spend that money and take a loss have all contributed to that over time, like incline in my visibility, in my sales, just Yeah, and those shows do give you credibility. They do. You know, it's you get other people know who you are like. It's nobody knew who I was like 10 years ago. And sometimes I'm just like, I can't believe that person knows who I am, because I look at them like they're like, you know, the ultimate you know, I'm like, fangirling over some of these people. How do they know me? Like, I don't know. So I still see myself as just like a little small time artist who are just trying to make something this decent.
Olya Konell 27:22
That's how we see it, and that's all that we can hope for, is to continually be growing and whatnot. We've had a lot of questions in the chat, so I really want to pull these as people ask them, Do you have any suggestions on how to identify the shows that are best to enter?
Hillary Scott 27:38
OH Gosh, that's a good one. You know? I think I was, I just, you have to look at, I think, oil painters of America. I don't even know how I found out. I think it's a lot of it's online, like, I'll be on Instagram, and I'll see people who I admire, who I follow, saying, Oh, I just got accepted into the show. And then I'll go and look at that, and I'll so I think it's really just like I'm admiring some artists who are ahead of me, and I'm taking I feel like you should always look to somebody who's better than you. I feel like that's where we need to be, aligning ourselves with somebody who knows more than you, somebody who's better than you, and looking up to them and not being discouraged by their success, but also just being encouraged by it. So I will find that's where I think I found out about some of these shows, the American tonalist society, which, over time, I think I'm kind of a totalist. I'm considered a tonalist painter, just because my natural style, like the stuff I like to paint. So I know that they had posted some of the best working artists today, like some of my favorite artists they they showed, like, the best in totalism. And I was like, Oh. I was like, how I want, I want to be part of the group. I want to play with these people. And so I and when they had a call for entry, the next time I entered it. So I think some a lot of these shows are being put online announcements that somebody got into them, and then I'm like, I think I want to try to get into that, because it's such a daze to hang alongside some of these artists was just like, total career,
Olya Konell 29:00
to have your name be in on a website with these people or on a piece of paper, yeah, yeah. And so I for anybody that's listening, but something simple that you can do is, well, a you need to have, you need to have artist friends. I think that's important. But then also find them on Instagram. Like, if you see, you know, follow the hashtag art and see, oh, I like this. This is, this is who I want to be like. This is, you know, maybe not like that, but I really admire XYZ. And then to start learning from these people for free based on what they post, go look at their website. Look at their, you know, CV, their buy, like, what should they participate in? Be a little, I wouldn't say detective, but be curious, for sure.
Hillary Scott 29:40
Yeah, yeah, I think so. And a lot of times, you know, it's just learning from other artists, even just seeing how they handle problems in their own art. Like, like, I look at first who I admire, and I'm just like, the way they do lighting is really cool. And I just, I think there's just a lot to be learned online. I found some i. The biggest inspirations on Instagram.
Olya Konell 30:05
And I would like to kind of do a shadow so I so you were recognized by plein air Magazine as one of the 15 most influential landscape artists on Instagram. And so, yeah, you know. So in general, social media is a great resource, yeah. And so putting your art out there and then being involved with these organizations, it really, definitely makes a difference. So no, and there is a I'm going to read this comment so somebody comments. It's good points. It is perhaps an important consideration to make sure your work is at a high level before embarking on the national level, finding local events and galleries can be great signing boards to let you know when your work is reaching that level. And we talked about this before we jumped in, you're never fully there. You're always, yeah, yeah. You're always, always learning.
Hillary Scott 30:52
But I do think you need to have a basic level of proficiency before you start doing that. So I know maybe I don't want to be contradicting myself say, Oh, you just put yourself out there. I know that there were a few years and I was just starting to learn how to do this, that there was no way I was getting into those national shows. I was lucky to get into the new recruit Art Association regional show, which I did on the second year. And I was thrilled by that. But I just think that there was, like my illustration era was not conducive to that level of competition. So yeah, I did have to learn some things and, you know, adjust some things that I was doing in my work to get to that point where I could compete on that level. But yeah, I definitely started small. I started local, and then, you know, I would enter. I think there was, like, another gallery, like juried show, that I got into that. And so then over the next few years, I was like, hmm, I'm like, this is going to be a stretch. And as I said, I got rejected from the first oil pianos of America show that I tried to get. It was like a regional show. It was the regional show. And then I and then I tried, a year later, I tried to get to the national show. And I was like, I was convinced I wasn't going to get in. I was I was convinced, and then it got in, and I was shocked. Because I'm like, I still feel like I'm a little like, people think that my work is maybe better than I think it is, because I think I'm always like, looking for the next I'm always reaching the next level. So when I'm just like, Oh no, I can do better. I can do better. I need to learn how to do better, but it's still good enough,
Olya Konell 32:20
yeah, and I think that that is important, so that self criticism she should have, that you could, should critique your work at all times. It doesn't, you know, that should never leave. But I think that once you've got the basic skills down, and I want to back up, you said you started attending workshops, and you started learning from other artists. So, you know, and that is something that I think is so important some every single artist that we've had on the show, every single one of our signature artists, they whether they have gone to art school or not, or whether they, you know, regardless of their education, whether they're self taught or they all, at some point, found artists that they admire, and they learned from them, yeah, and so you did that for for especially, probably those first few years, I'm assuming, right.
Hillary Scott 33:09
I started, I was, I was dumped into ice cold water from my illustration, you know, era, because I went right from that to taking a plein air workshop, not a landscape painting workshop, like in the studio, it was like, oh, you know, you're going to go outside and paint exactly what you see. That was a rude awakening, but it was exactly what I needed. I'm like, some it's just what needed to happen. And I did make some really, really bad paintings. And so, you know, once, like, you get over that, you get over that hump, and you start to learn from that, and start making something decent, and then you just build on that, and then you just take a work with someone else who maybe has something different to teach you. And I think every artist has like a little bit of a different approach. So I feel like you just take it all in, and then you come up with your own like approach to it. So I did take a bunch of workshops from different artists, and I still do. I just, I want to take another, you know, there's some other artists out there. I want to take a workshop from but, but I'm always learning, and I have somebody who I can, who can critique H O H my paintings, because we need other people to look at our paintings. And, you know, we get stuck on things. We work in a vacuum. So I do have resources there. And it's just been, yeah, I've learned so much. And
Olya Konell 34:24
yeah, and about critiques so important. And the key is, I think this is important. Don't just ask your brother or your sister, any random non artist person, like, what can I change about my composition? Or what's go? What can I do better? Because they will not be able to give you the critique that you're looking for. When you're seeking out actual critiques that you're going to take seriously, you need to look for the right people to give them to you. And do you how do you find these artists?
Hillary Scott 34:52
Well, I took a workshop from an artist who he does phenomenal work. His name is Sean beavers, and so he run he. He's probably the most. I probably learned the bulk of what I'm doing now from him, because I worked with him for years. I took his workshop year after year. And so, you know, I learned, I had to go back to square one and, like, learn, you know, color charts and all this tedious stuff. And so now I don't take a workshop, but I can go anytime and just pay a fucking fee, and I'll get a critique, because I do get stuck on paintings, and he'll be able to look at it and tell me, and save me, like, hours of my time. Because if I'm trying all these different things, or I'm asking just a random person, they might know that it's not working, but they don't know why. And that's the other thing is, like I might have I know that something's not working when it's not working. I just sometimes I can't put my finger on it, and then, you know, somebody else who's better than you can look at it and immediately say, well, that's why, and it's, it's just like, so valuable to have that resource. So I think everyone needs, like, a mentor of some sort. You know, there's, there are online teachers that can critique your work for a fee. There's a lot of resources. But I just think you need to be you need another set of eyes,
Olya Konell 36:04
absolutely and specifically, from an artist.
Hillary Scott 36:08
Yeah, definitely from an artist. And so, like, in the harder and if you're going to be uncomfortable and, like, try to do unfamiliar subjects that are, like, outside of your comfort zone, you even need that more, because you are going to get stuck. And I get stuck all the time. If you're not getting stuck on things, then you're probably being, you're staying You're being too safe. So I think if you're going to do something that's hard for you, just plan on. You're going to hit some snacks on the way, and it's you're going to hit a point in the painting that you have to Yeah. So that does happen a lot to me, yeah.
Olya Konell 36:36
But I appreciate you sharing that, because a lot of times we hear this from artists all day long. We they assume that once you get to certain level of success, that all that ends and it doesn't, it is a continual process, a continual journey. So there's a I was going to say. There was some questions about critiquing your work is important. Let me see what they're saying. Oh yeah. And actually, I want to add this, if you're just starting out, you don't have the resource, financial resources to pay the fee to, you know, an artist, you just need, you're just starting out, you need some basic critiquing. If you are a bold brush or Faso customer. We do have a community critiques section. We also have a Facebook group, and that's open to everybody too. But in community critiques, you can post your art, and it allows you to get feedback from other artists within this community. We have photographers, we have painters, we have different things. So that's one resource. And then we have, I know, we have a Facebook group. That is, if you go to Facebook and search boldbrush video's like the group that's open to everybody, you can post your art in there, and there's artists in there, and you can ask for the same thing. So there's a lot of these free resources that can help you get started. You know, if you just need some basic guidance, like you're still learning the basics. And then once you get there, to start seeking out that to fine tune, you know, to fine tune your your craft from the people you admire. So, yeah, and then, wow, I didn't know about community critiques. Oh yeah, you're welcome. That is there. Take advantage of those resources, for sure, and for anybody that's not so if you subscribe. So I do want to mention this, because it's kind of amazing. I think, for anybody that wants to join and have access to all of this, the lowest tier that we have is $12 a month for our FAFSA websites, we have people that join just so they can get access to the community into the marketing calendar, into all the videos. So that is one option. If you need access to a community of artists, you can actually find them through any one of our packages. And then, as far as contests, if you are an existing customer, just remember that you get free entries. You get one if you're on the intro plan, two on silver, three on gold, four on platinum. So you could literally enter contests every single month, multiple times a month, depending on on the package that you have. And that just exposes you to the opera, you know, to the process of, like, picking a painting, what do you put on there, like all of that kind of stuff. And helps gets eyes on your work. So there was something else I wanted to kind of ask you so, and I know that we're kind of nearing So given your success and experience, what are the three most, I think, crucial pieces of advice that you would offer to emerging artists looking to establish themselves in the art world today? And I know we've covered some of these, but if there's anything else that you can think of.
Hillary Scott 39:42
So I think one thing is, people ask me that, like, what's the hack? Like, what I get asked that sometimes it's like, such a, you know, like, what is your hat? I'm like, There is none. Like, honestly, the best thing is, you're gonna have to embrace some boredom and repetition. Like, for. Me to get I know that I really hone in on on a theme, and I just do it over and over again. And I think that's part of why I've nailed some of this subject matter. Like, why I, you know, can do this, is because I go back to the same locations over and over I try to, I get to know them. Like, get to know your subject matter. So like, if you are all over the map, because I have some friends who are, like, kind of struggling, they're like, trying to get somewhere with their art career, but they're like, all over the place, like, and which is okay, like, they want to do portraits, and they want to do still lives, and they want to do like, you know, whimsical art, and then they want to do landscapes. And it's just like, they're just all over the place because they're bored. And like, they need to have something super exciting and always the shiny new object, and they, you know, I would say that's a mistake. And you can do all of those things O H over your career if you want to. I personally will not, because I just, I'm, like, laser focused on something, and I don't mind boredom. Boredom doesn't bother me a bit. I, in fact, I kind of like it. It's, it's like, comfort, like I get into into a theme, and I just want to do it over and over again to, like, perfect it. And at the same time, I do think you need to get out of your comfort zone. So that's me saying that isn't necessarily staying in a comfort zone. It's just kind of like focusing in on, like, I'm going to do lighting effects. I'm going to learn these locations and like, what they're like in different lighting effects, different conditions, and I'm going to just paint them over and over again until I nail them, and then I'll move on to a different location, or I'll have, like, a rotation of subjects that it'll just keep going back to. And so I am not bothered by that. So it's just the consistency the day in and day out of doing repetitive things that can be very boring to some people. And I feel like that you need to embrace that if you're going to get somewhere. And that, that is my opinion. I really do admire some of these artists, these career artists that can master, like doing portraits, and they also do just equally, you know, like stunning landscapes, and they can do all of it. But I do think there was a point where they honed in on one thing and got really proficient at that, and then they moved on to something else. So I think just like jumping around trying to be the jack of all trades is not the best strategy. Yeah. Second thing is, is, again, goes along with what I was just saying, is you do have to get uncomfortable. So, you know, you can't just paint the same exact thing. Like, I will pick a location and I'll paint it one way, and then I'll go back and paint it in completely different conditions, like a fog or like a snow scene, and I'll paint that in the summer, and I'll paint it in different seasons. And so I think you do need to get out of your comfort zone, not so much that you are just not going to be able to achieve something like, I feel like you get just a little bit out of there, just so that you're just a little bit uncertain, but not so much that you're going to fail, because that can be discouraging. So you have to find that balance. And then the third thing is, is just accepting failure, like this is a marathon, not a sprint. And like you, every great person of like, any trade at all, like, no matter what the industry is, they have failed over and over again, and they get back up and they just just move on, like, like, I'm telling you when I tell you I have, like, dozens and dozens of paintings behind me in piles that, like, are just not there. I just do them, and if they don't work out, I literally doesn't even matter. I'm like, I don't get sad about it. I'm just like, oh, I'll just like, oh, I'll just try something else. I'll try different format. I'll try, like, just something else you cannot get caught up and build a house there where, like, if you fail or get rejected, that you're just gonna, you're gonna be discouraged and quit.
Olya Konell 43:33
Yeah, and, and I think a lot of people, they see people when, when every person that you know of that you admire. You only came to know them during after they did the 1015, 20 years of learning. You know, consistency, repetition. So like people say, Oh, that person was an overnight success. There is no such thing as an overnight success just because it's like you're swimming underwater, holding your breath for a long time, and then eventually you're able to pop up. You know, it's like you're under the ice. You're looking for that opening. And then that's basically almost like the analogy you're seeing people when they when that opportunity came for them to break out, but everything else that they did is like, it's not known under
Hillary Scott 44:17
the surface, like you don't show if you don't go and post like their failures online. I know some of them do just to make a point to say the show. I mean, that's takes a lot of courage, but just know that every every artist that you see, that you think is like goals they have, saw they have, O H like, suffered so many failures and rejections that you can't even begin to like, understand how many like I've had when I did a solo show starting out earlier on in my career. I paid money for it like it was a two person show. I didn't sell a single painting. I had to fill a gallery with all my paintings, and my friend, she did the other half of the gallery. It was a $0 show, and I wanted to quit. I was like, This is ridiculous. I'm like, why am I doing this? And so, of course, I didn't quit. And then. And you know, I've had shows where I sold out of the paintings that I put in there, and it's just, and then consistently, just selling paint. It's just, you have to get over that, because that separates the people who make it and people who don't. I'm convinced of that, like, that's true.
Olya Konell 45:14
Yep, that is absolutely true.
Hillary Scott 45:17
And then the people like, who have done that, they've gotten discouraged and they quit, and then, you know, they would, those people would be jaded, and they would say, You know what, it's not possible, but, and that becomes the narrative. And then everyone's like, Oh, I'm like, It's not possible. What's it's just because of that person's, you know, situation. And I just chose not to, I didn't want to fall into that. And it takes a lot of strength to like, keep showing up, like every day, even if you don't want to, even if you're not motivated, your painting isn't coming out good, and you just, you have to. It's just, it's not motivation. It's just like, you have to be consistent and just show up.
Olya Konell 45:53
It's, it's the consistency of small improvements, and consistency of doing like you said, the same thing, but sometimes painting different things, etc. But you're being consistent. In that. Do you keep a schedule? Do you have a Do you try to show up in your studio space within certain amount of hours a day or per week? Or do you try to make it work when you can? I mean, everybody works differently, so yeah.
Hillary Scott 46:17
So like, right now, I have made it a goal to get out once a week to do plein air painting. So I do, like my studio time, but like, I had to just take one day and just make myself go out. That's one of those things that I've had to do that I didn't love to do and like, and part of why didn't love to do it was because I wasn't very good at it. So I was like, Oh, I'm gonna take one day we can go to make a really bad painting, where I could come in the studio and just make good paintings. But what I what is out there is challenging, and it's what I need to be doing so I can get better in the studio. So now I'm like, one day a week, I have to go out there. But, yeah, I do. I start. I do consistently every day, pretty much paint. I get up and I have to do like, you know, some sort of a workout before, because once I fell into this, I'm not going to stop. So I get that in the O H O H morning, and then after that, I'll, I'm, you know, cleared my head, and now I'm ready to create art. And that's getting outside is also important, since I paint landscapes. So I'll go out, take a walk, run, and get just nature inspired, and then I can come in and just think clearly,
Olya Konell 47:21
yeah, it's, it's almost from having a brain freeze on the book. But she tells you to go have artists dates. The having a very big brain freeze. If anybody knows what book I'm talking about, you can comment it. But, yeah, having an, I don't know. Yeah, having an artist date is so important. Basically, it's something you do for yourself. In your case, it's going, Julie Yes, Julia Cameron is the author. Thank you. That's That's exactly, really good book. If you're feeling stuck, go check that book out. It will inspire you in so many ways and absolutely and then somebody asked, how many galleries carry your work? And I wanted to pop in and share. I put the link in and shared in the chat. But you have at least four, maybe more, you just need to update some stuff. So yeah,
Hillary Scott 48:08
I have four. And then there's one that I'm in. You know, I do a couple shows a year there, so that would be the gallery on federal so there's technically five there, yeah. And then, in addition to the galleries, I will do bunch of shows like that, like pop up shows, so it's not like a permanent collection, but I'll just, I want, I have work that I'll put in, like a holiday show, or I'll do, I'll do the national shows, like I said. So I do, I do show on quite a few different venues, but I don't want to go too far with that. Like, I don't, I can't really get in more galleries, because then I would be able to keep the inventory so to keep it small. And then the gallery thing I will say about that, it's been 10 years to find the right fits, because I was in a bunch of galleries, and then early in my career, I was like, I look at the best galleries, like some really top, high end galleries. I was like, Oh. I was like, I want to be in there. So I reached out to some of them. I did get into one, and I felt like I was knocking on their door and a couple of the times, and those didn't really work out for me, because it's really like, I think you need to find a gallery that really loves your work, that really, really wants you to be in there. It's not just you saying, Please, can I be in there? Because I want to be next to these artists. It's really the gallery needs to love your work if they're going to sell your work. And that has worked out for me, and it's also the galleries are relationships. It's not like a place where you just drop your work off and they sell your work and you make your work and you just ship them our work. It's really like a two way street where you communicate with them, and it's they are relationships. So that's advice that I've passed on to people that's
Olya Konell 49:41
really good advice too, because if you have a friendship with the person that's going to be acting as a salesperson for your work, and they like you as an artist, guess what? They're going to push your work more, and that only benefits you. Yeah? So make those the Yeah. That is such good advice. Nice, and I do want to I know we're, we're we're, we go over a little bit. I hope you guys are okay with it. If you have to leave, you'll have access to everything in the recording. Everybody always asks about social media. I usually save it for last, because I we O H O like to reiterate it is not the most important thing in your career. It is a tool in your toolbox. But I do want to get some you know, what have you found that works for you? And again, everybody's different, but what is your for me?
Hillary Scott 50:26
Okay, so I sometimes like I well, I found over time that people love to see the process. They love works in progress. They want to see how a painting is made. And sometimes this takes a little planning. It takes a little extra time on your end to do social media content, which is part of my job. So when you say, like, oh, how much time do you paint? I paint. I paint, but not nearly enough, because I feel like there's other parts of my job that I have to do, like I have to, you know, there's and social media is one of those jobs making content. I don't spend a ton of time on it, but I think sometimes people want to see clips of you painting. They want to see clips of the painting from a blank panel to like my underpainting, and they like to see just behind the scenes, like materials that I use, like the palette that I use, like just all that stuff. So I think like mixing up, you know, your just like your content, instead of just posting finished painting every time, which sometimes doesn't get the best engagement. I know that sometimes I'll make collections of like I'll make a collage which are super fun to do, of like a theme, like a location that I got, you know, fixated on. And I'll like paint in all these different seasons and different lighting effects. And I'll like post stuff like that. So I try to mix out what I'm doing to just get a full picture of of my life as an artist. It's not just like posting out finished paintings, which, of course, you can do. It's kind of cool to start a process like, you know, people could see the painting from the bare bones of like the Brunei that I make, and then they'll see the first pass and all the little baby detail shots. And then I'll finally post it framed so they can see the whole progression, in addition to some of my inspiration. So like, when I go out and get these, these scenes, like, inspired by these scenes, I do show what I'm inspired by, and then how do I take that and, like, kind of edit out that scene. Because, like, I don't just paint exactly what it is like. Sometimes I have to, like,
Olya Konell 52:22
you know, use your imagination to design it,
Hillary Scott 52:25
add things in, change some things and like, yeah. So I think some people like to see how art is made,
Olya Konell 52:33
yeah. And that's so true for you guys are listening. We I have, I've seen people comment and say, Oh, I have no followers. Nobody's liking my pictures, you know. And anytime I see somebody complaining about social media, I'm curious. So I always go to look at their thing to see, okay, like, what's going on here. And it's always the same thing. The artists left their creative hat at the door when they went to go put their work out there they forgot to display in a creative way. And I've seen the opposite, where somebody took a painting and they stood in H O H O a dark alley with a beautiful, bright painting and take a picture with it, and it just looks so cool. They just went outside. They live in the city, you know. They took the painting, put it in a unique spot, took a picture, series of pictures, made a video, recorded a time lapse, like, all this just, I think it, I think we just have to remember to be creative in
Hillary Scott 53:27
the creativity. Just like you said, it's not just like, Oh, we're making our painting. It's like, you have to be creative on how you post, how to engage people, because that's, I think that's kind of boring, just to see, like, you know, a bunch of finished paintings, like we're on here, to get to know the person behind the paintings and like, how they make them, because everyone does it differently. And I just Yeah, so I'm pretty transparent on, like, how they're made. And then also, like, I will go make a plein air study. People love to see that. They like to see, you know, like the study in front of, you know, and then I'll bring that home, and I will rearrange things from that and turn that into a completely different studio painting. And then you can crop things like, it's just there's so much to it and how you make so I like to put that up.
Olya Konell 54:08
Yeah, that's that is such good advice, absolutely. So, you know, something a person could do is, you know, just listening to all these ideas, make a list of the different ways you can share the story about how your painting is made, you know, time lapse, like you said, a collagen pictures, including the including the inspirations. And I would like to add that all the apps that we use, they're adding so many tools now that they make it really easy to even make a compilation of video clips. So you literally, you know, you just drag. You don't even need an outside editing app. You just have to try to collect these pieces of your story, you know, and then you can put it together in the app, whether it be Facebook or Instagram or whatever, and then you have something that really brings, I think, the viewer of your work into your process and into your studio. Because that's really, that's what I. There. Yeah,
Hillary Scott 55:01
I think it's like, I know sometimes I look at this, I'm like, oh, like, there's just, like, more time that I have to do it, but then I you have to enjoy the process and, like, make it kind of fun. Like, to put together a video, and, like, you find a song, and it's just like an ad, just clips and like, I just, I think it's kind of fun.
Olya Konell 55:16
It can become its own creative outlet to support, yes, a storytelling aspect of the work, because every all art has some kind of a story to to tell. And I think finding what works for you is is absolutely key. And somebody asked, Do you use hashtags? Or is that like you don't really care about them?
Hillary Scott 55:38
I don't know how much they are doing. I do, because I do. I'm not sure that that's, you know, a contributing factor in the success of a post. I really don't. I just, you know, and then there's the whole reels thing that everyone's like, you know, in the last years, like they like reels are better. And I'm like, there, I haven't found that to be the case. I think if you can make something that's very intriguing, and it will get a lot of viewers. But what happened was I was like, kind of like, I don't want to make these reels. I would rather just like, do other, you know, like, just like, process carousel, like, a bunch of things real. And then old Holland paints reached out to me, and they're like, we want to partner with you, so we're going to send you some paints, and we want you to make some reels and to promote us and and so that's where the real started. And I think that some of them have been really have done pretty well. People like to see, like, the time lapse thing, so I was forced into them, like, alright, well, they want to see reels, so I'm going to have to get out of my comfort zone a little and make some reels. And I mean, they're a little bit, they're, you know, they're fun to do, but that's how the real thing started for me.
Olya Konell 56:42
Yeah, that I making those and, and that's really good advice. And actually, I, we recently did a, I did, I went to Adam a series post, and I reviewed a year's worth of his updates. And so we compiled that into a video of, like, what's new on Instagram in 2024 and so if you remember, you can go back into the video library and watch that recording. But that's one of the things that I think I've noticed, the way when people ask him about hashtags, he's just kind of like so you're right. I do not think they matter anymore, and the reason for that is because of AI. So the AI now has the ability to, the if you have talking in your video, they take the transcript. It can analyze what's happening in a video or a picture, doesn't matter what it is, real or just a bunch of pictures, and identify like, Oh, what is this a picture of? And then it identifies what it is, and it tries to show it to people that it thinks might like that. So your words that you put in, that you type, are probably more important than which hashtag you use. So don't forget to just put a little paragraph like, hey. So I went to this thing. I did that, I did plan, you know, describe what you're doing, because that actually, I think matters more now than the single hashtag. You know, just a post with a single hashtag or a couple hashtags.
Hillary Scott 58:02
Yeah, I never foundthe hashtags to be like the make or break. It's more like the post itself, like, and I, and I some posts don't do well at all. Like, I know that sometimes, if I'm promoting a show and it's like a lot of writing, it's like a poster, like, and I'll put that up, and that gets engagement. And then there are just certain things that get a lot of engagement. And so you just over time have to see, you know what, what people works? Yeah? Just, it's trial and error. I don't have the, I don't have a secret on, yeah, just try different things
Olya Konell 58:32
and see what does. Well, go back and review what you did. Like, okay, so if I did this, it works. Another thing I've seen as artists will sometimes sort of doing text, they'll do voiceovers, and they'll just talk and so like you can get creative and use the different tools that that they have there. And as Hilary was saying, with the carousels. So one cool thing about carousels, and I'm H O H O sure you know this, but I'm sharing this because of the audience. So So right now, you can do up to 20 images or videos or combination of both. So clips, videos, you can really show the progression of a painting. And when you post that, if somebody sees one of your things and they click on it and they look at it and scroll to the second one, Instagram will then recognize that they are interested in that it will attempt to show them the third, the fourth, the fifth, the sixth, the seventh, however many there are there at some point in their scrolling journey, I guess, scroll long enough so there's actual value. And just instead of a single image, like you said, take different snippets of the journey and compile them together. And you don't even have to be fancy, just be consistent. I think that's the key.
Hillary Scott 59:38
I think that's the key to everything, really, is consistency, is it's going to trump perfection anytime, you know, like, just absolutely of everything that you do is just just being consistent. It's like, I just try to consistently make a certain standard of painting and like, just do this, like my, you know, I show up consistently to just work through to. And creative problems and consistency in the plein air, because up until this year, I was very inconsistent, like I was going out there, and then I would go out there once, and then three months later I'd go again. And this year, I feel like I've been out more than ever before, and it's really I feel like it's paid off in my confidence level in the studio and also my confidence level outside. It's so stress, like, I don't know, like, anxiety provoking to go out there for many, many reasons. It's like, nothing stays still, it's fat, but it's just, it just really sharpens you. And so now I go out there and I feel, like, more comfortable. I'm like, I just, I feel it more at ease. Like, how starting the painting and like, how I'm gonna, like, get from point A to point B, and how to prioritize what I'm going to paint first in the scene, and just like all those things, it just, it was overwhelming to me, and now it's just getting way better. So I feel like that consistency is paid off. And I just think that's that's the magic that people are looking for, is just in the consistency factor. That's the hack.
Olya Konell 1:00:56
That is the hack, because it really is, at the end of it, all consistency and not giving up consistency and showing up consistency and doing that, that really, I think, is a hack. And there's, you know, and I think that's kind of the takeaway. One of my last questions before I do, like, a fun little rapid fire and we end, is, if there was, like, one thing that you could take away from this conversation, what would that piece of wisdom be? And I don't know, unless you have something else to really, I feel like the that's part of the formula.
Hillary Scott 1:01:29
I think so. I think that it's really that is pretty much the formula, like I think it is. It's the consistency. And just, I don't know, just like following your vision and just like your own creative like, I don't know you're just like, you need to just stay true to what you're doing. And I know they're trends that come and go and it's like, oh, people are like, contemporary art cells and abstract ourselves, and people are pissed off that somebody sold a painting for like, a million dollars of like, you know, some scribbles. And I'm just like, I don't know. I just think you need to, like, there's art is always going to be timeless. Like, you know, really good art people are in, you know, there's the whole AI thing. So I just think, for me, I'm like, I just think you need to H O H find what intrigues you and what you want to say to your audience. And just, you know, let that be your driving force. Don't let other people tell you what's selling. So you should paint this. And then somebody had actually sent me a message A while back, and she was like, you know, she's like, You should be careful, because you're going to pigeonhole yourself into, like, a romantic style. So maybe you should start painting some things that, like, you know, naming these things that she found interesting. And I was like, that is good advice. Like, I just, I don't think other you know, you need to paint what you love, to paint what is interesting to you, and I think that your viewer is going to appreciate that, because it's my job to bring interest to something that I see and pass that on to my viewer. So if I'm bored by the subjects, what are they gonna think?
Olya Konell 1:03:03
You know, and that energy that spice, whatever it is that we have when we're passionate about what we're doing, or excited about what we're doing, or we enjoy it, that directly translates into the work and in the it is, felt, seen somehow, I don't know. It's like the rules of the world, the universe, whatever that you communicate that to your audience, if you do things that you don't want to do, and you hate it the whole time, and somebody's telling to do something and you want to do something else instead. So that is such solid advice is really being consistent, even in your vision, finding out what it is first, but yeah, sticking to it. And just yeah, there's a I want to do a fun little rapid fire with Hillary, because there's always good little advice or little tips that we learn from these and while I'm doing that, if you guys want to share anything in the comments that I can pass on to Hillary afterwards, I always like to send our guests a little bit of a recap. So Drop your comments into the chat and a really quick rapid fire favorite paint out of the tube, straight out of tube, out of the tube. Um, brand color. Any details
Hillary Scott 1:04:15
Let me see. I think dioxazine Purple is my favorite color is, of all like, it's just in every painting, you will find a painting of mine that doesn't have diocesan purple, yeah,
Olya Konell 1:04:27
what and by gambling, yeah, good. Okay, good to know. Alright. So what about favorite brush? Okay, Hillary Scott 1:04:36 so that's an easy one, Rosemary company. Eclipse fill works. Those are all things, all different. Eclipse, filberts,
Olya Konell 1:04:43
yes. Okay, so you use that for pretty much,
Hillary Scott 1:04:46
I feel like I may be leaving some good brushes, like, on the table, like I feel like maybe there are other brushes out there that I would love to but I'm so fixated on these things. I've been using these for years. That's all I use for these. And, yeah,
Olya Konell 1:04:58
it's beautiful. Yeah. Yeah, okay. And then last one is, I'm having, like, a painting hack that, you know, transform, like, or something in your process would be a hack with cleaning, or whatever, painting changed.
Hillary Scott 1:05:16
You know, what? There was actually learn something in a workshop. That is, it was, it was kind of life changing for me is that, for the longest time, I would learn that, like, things that are far away from you are going to be blue, things that are closer you're going to be warmer. And that is true to an extent. But when I wanted to go paint sunsets, okay, so like the warmth of the sun is on the horizon, and then I went and tried to make the background, like bluish that is not how it is that is just not so, like, it's really like the atmosphere color is going to influence what is in the background. So this is like a complex isn't like a rapid fire, like answer, but like, basically, it's like observation of what you are painting is so important. Like, just really observe the things outside. Like, just constantly be observing things to see how it really is, as opposed to what you think it is, and what, like theory will tell you, because theory reality or
Olya Konell 1:06:13
the difference, yeah,
Hillary Scott 1:06:14
different things, yeah, to a point. So anyway, I you know, once I realized that the far trees and a sunset are going to be actually warmer than your foreground that that was very eye opening to me. And I was like, Oh, my God, this is actually true.
Olya Konell 1:06:29
This is how it is really cool, yeah. And I think that's what hashes my eye when I look at your paintings, it has that glow. Oh, I love a good golden hour glow like, I get goosebumps just thinking about it. And sometimes the colors that you end up with, you're like, how is this physically possible? Like, what in the theory of light made this? How did this turn out? I mean, you are right. You really have to just look and just, yeah,
Hillary Scott 1:06:55
you have to observe it into like, nuances, little subtlety, like you have to train your eye to see a certain way, yeah? And that takes a long time, but once you start training your eye, it all comes together. Like, yeah, my God, I'm like, This is how I create this kind of depth in the work. And it's like, magical, like, when it when it clicks, and you can see, like, what you're creating is matching up with what you saw outside it. I can't even tell you the feeling, because it's like, it's so hard to do, but when you do it, and it's like your vision is like matching what you're executing, and it's
Olya Konell 1:07:31
and the thing that always used to frustrate me was what we I, you know, I do not paint plein air. I do not I've attempted it, I had the same crash and burn experience like I get it. I think it's cool, and I'm still experimenting, and I think it's fun. But I remember my biggest frustration was, why is the picture that I took? Because I want to paint this later different. You know, as a new artist just starting out, I could not wrap my head around this, because color changes in the way it's in our eyes is never going to be how it is on on a photo. And so then it skews your painting. And that's why the little studies are so important, you know, to capture those colors to be able to, oh man, yeah, so I can understand. Whoops. No, those are good little rapid fires. I made some notes. I'm gonna have to check out those brushes. That is really good advice. Yeah, and we have some awesome thank yous that I'll be sharing with you afterwards. And I really appreciate you guys. I thank you so much for tuning in. Thank you for joining us. I'm dropping all of the links in the chat, all of Hillary's Instagram, Facebook, her website, just Hillary Scott, and then we have all of the boldbrush links if you need to find any information that we discussed afterwards. But yeah, I'm gonna, you know, definitely give her a follow, because you can learn a lot from what she's doing. And we'll be keeping up with you. And hope she was so nice.
Hillary Scott 1:08:59
Talking all things are with you today. Comments about the cat.
Olya Konell 1:09:05
So, oh yeah, milky, look at him. Yeah. It's not just a box of fur. That is a no,
Hillary Scott 1:09:12
he paint. He's part of this whole, you know, process, like he hangs out in this box, I think, for the last couple weeks, since this is a Raymar box. By the way, I got my panels, my Raymar panels I get. So this is the box. I opened it and he popped in it, and he hasn't left.
Olya Konell 1:09:27
So he hasn't left. So he's like, this is my box. You may not destroy this box.
Hillary Scott 1:09:31
Yeah, right. He sits right here. And I, by the way, I try as hard as I can, but the cat here sometimes isn't the painting. So if you get a painting, if you ever buy a painting for me, and there's not a single cat here, it's a fake. So that's all, that's all.
Olya Konell 1:09:45
You know what? That is part of the magic. I call it the sprinkles, because I have pets too. So yeah, yeah, yeah, no. It was such a pleasure to meet you. Oh, and you in person, and it was such a nice conversation. I feel that I learned. Been a lot, and I'm inspired. So thank you for your advice. Thank you, thank you, and thank you to all of you guys, and we'll see you at the next boldbrush live in about four weeks. So thank you, Hillary. Have a good one. All right. Bye.
Hillary Scott
Bye.
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