Jill Haas
Jill Haas grew up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where her mother and grandmother painted watercolor botanicals that filled the walls of her childhood home. Her grandfather, a botanist by hobby, created new varieties of lilies, and her father taught her how to sail, inspiring a love of wind and water. Her admiration for the natural world is expressed in the plant portraits she creates on canvas and panel. An award-winning animator and illustrator, Haas credits her penchant for using sharp edges and flat shapes to her 30-year career working with digital vector images.
Haas has exhibited with Denise Bibro Fine Art, New York, NY; Visionary Art Collective, New York, NY; Paradigm Gallery, Philadelphia, PA; Bridgette Mayer Gallery, Philadelphia, PA; Da Vinci Art Alliance, Philadelphia, PA; and many others. She was featured in Art Delivery by The Jealous Curator, Art Seen Magazine, and ART PXV Magazine in 2024. Her work lives in private collections throughout Pennsylvania, New York, Rhode Island, and California. Haas graduated from the University of Delaware and studied painting privately.
Artist Statement
“I was born into the colorful and brilliant world of botanicals. I grew up watching my mother and grandmother paint flowers, and in that sunny atelier, I inherited their love of leaf and petal. When I create my plant portraits, I feel a connection with my family members through the generations. My ancestors' wisdom, in addition to my own life experience, has led me to this body of work. My decision to return to botanicals after years of exploring other muses is about me leaning into who I am, where I've been, and where I want to go.
I collage with swatches of paper that are covered with loosely painted brush strokes. The washy paint, in contrast with the sharp edges of my designs, references my work as a digital illustrator working with vector shapes. Silhouettes also play an important role in my compositions. They allow me to repeat my subjects, emphasizing their importance. Plants appear at different stages of life in my work as a metaphor for personal growth and maturation, intergenerational influence, and tradition. These blooms were nourished by the people in my history. They also help me reckon with the natural process of my own aging.
It is my hope that viewers feel connected to and moved by my work because they share my adoration for the natural world that envelops, supports, and nourishes us all. The synthesis of human and plant life is beautiful and peaceful, and I want to galvanize people to protect this relationship. By painting plant portraits, I strive to call attention to the integral role nature plays in our lives, amplifying the chorus of voices calling for its protection.”
Contact
www.jillhaasstudio.com
Jill@jillhaasstudio.com
@jill_haas_painter
Interview
What inspires your art practice and keeps you motivated?
My art practice is inspired by my love of flowers and my family history of botanical art. I have so much excitement and energy for my art practice that I can’t wait to get to the studio every day.
How does your mission as an artist influence the work you create?
My mission as an artist is to help people think about their relationship with plants and how important plants are to our world. I use repetition in my work to stress the importance of plant life.
Can you share a key part of your creative process that helps you stay focused?
I’m always observing and photographing the plant life around me to add to my collection of reference material.
What mindset tip do you rely on to overcome challenges in your art career?
My mindset tip is to always focus on the exciting future I’m creating through my artwork.
How do you hope your art impacts the world or your community?
My hope is that viewers of my artwork will connect with the pieces because of a mutual admiration for the beauty of flowers, and by extension, the rest of nature. Through reading my statement and observing the names of my pieces, which all reflect relationships between people and plants, I’m hoping to inspire people to notice and protect the wildlife around us.
