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
https://www.jillhaasstudio.com/
jill@jillhaasstudio.com
@jill_haas_painter
Interview
What inspires your art practice and keeps you motivated?
I grew up watching my mother and grandmother paint botanicals in watercolor. My grandfather was a botanist by hobby and created new varieties of lilies in his yard. My father taught me to sail, inspiring a love of wind and water. My admiration for the natural world is expressed in my plant portraits.
How does your mission as an artist influence the work you create?
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.
Can you share a key part of your creative process that helps you stay focused?
I design my pieces on my computer before I begin my collage process. I experiment, play, add, and subtract in the digital space until I get my composition to the point where I love it and believe it is as strong as it can be. This makes me super excited to execute the design in person.
What mindset tip do you rely on to overcome challenges in your art career?
I heard Henry Winkler interviewed once about how he was able to write books while having dyslexia that interferes with his reading comprehension. He said he found ways to work around that problem by teaming up with other people and learned this lesson: there is no RIGHT way to accomplish a goal; there is only YOUR way.
How do you hope your art impacts your world or community?
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.
