From Canvas to Commerce: Meet Artist Entrepreneur Jessica Hollander

Jessica Hollander is a botanical oil and watercolor painter and the visionary behind India & Purry, a home decor, stationery and accessories collection. In our chat, the artist discusses her journey of building a flourishing design business featuring her artwork.

How did you get started creating your art?

I have been painting since I was a child. I was primarily a figurative painter, but changed gears when I started my design business.

At what point did you realize you could turn your artwork into a business?

I started my business doing silkscreened and hand-dyed clothing, and along the way, I met a friend who used heat transfer to put my branch and blossom paintings onto ceramic tiles, which I started selling. This idea blossomed into a full collection of botanical designs and products.

How do you define success for your creative business?

I define success as having the courage to create your own vision and keep pushing forward with it in the face of any and all challenges.

Where do you find inspiration?

I am continually and deeply inspired by nature, which supplies me with endless beauty in its color, architecture, and light and shadow.

What advice would you give someone wanting to begin selling their art or creative product?

My advice would be to put blinders on with regard to what others are doing so that one’s art comes from a truly personal and unique place.

What’s something our audience would be surprised to learn about you?

I am an ethical vegan and animal rights activist!  My love of nature includes concern for all species.

As creatives, we can continuously create and refine our art. How do you handle perfectionism?

I find that it’s the idiosyncrasies in painting that I find most compelling, so perfection is not of interest to me. I embrace the moments of transcendent beauty sitting right alongside the awkward.

What’s something that surprised you about running a creative business?

I was so blissfully naive when I started my business that I didn’t realize that I’d also have to be a warehouse manager, accountant, salesperson, boss, etc.  It’s definitely a case of learning as I go!

What advice would you give someone about handling the highs and lows of running a business?

I would just say that if you really believe in what you are doing, do not ever let a challenge make you lose your confidence. Tenacity is key.

Has someone ever criticized your work? How did you handle it?

I often overhear people being dismissive of what I do because it’s primarily botanical. But it doesn’t tend to phase me because I know that flowers and seedpods and berries are an utterly fascinating and valid subject. Nature is infinitely beautiful and complex, and I am here to bring attention to that.

What’s a cause you are passionate about and why?

I am deeply moved by the plight of nonhuman animals at the hands of humans, and an organization that I adore and support is The Nonhuman Rights Project. The organization is a group of people fighting to get legal personhood for elephants, chimpanzees and other animals in captivity. You can learn more at www.nonhumanrights.org.

Can you share the name of a supplier or vendor that you use for your business that you just love–one that makes running your business a bit easier?

I love the company StationeryHQ out of California for their super-high-quality printing and wonderful customer service.

What brings you joy?

What brings me joy is reveling in nature and engaging in a dialogue with it that results in my paintings and designs. Beauty is absolutely everywhere, and it is a privilege to spend my life engaging with it and creating it.

Thanks, Jessica! You can learn more about India & Purry at indiaandpurry.com.

Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for length, grammar and clarity.