Jill Haas

Jill Haas is a botanical painter based in Pennsylvania. She is a graduate of the University of Delaware and credits her use of sharp edges and flat shapes to her 30-year career working with digital vector images. Haas has exhibited widely including at the Paradigm Gallery, the Bridgette Mayer Gallery, and the Da Vinci Art Alliance, all in Philadelphia, PA; and at The Art Trust, West Chester, PA. Her work is in private collections throughout Pennsylvania, New York, Rhode Island, and California. She has been featured by The Jealous Curator in 2024.

Artist Q & A with Jill Haas

Can you elaborate on how your family’s tradition of botanical art influences your creative process and the themes you explore in your work?

I learned on so many levels from growing up in a family that valued plants and nature. My colour palettes and my compositional choices are strongly influenced by the works of my mom and my grandmother. Though our work looks different, we use many of the same techniques like incorporating strong darks and lights, and unifying our palettes with a common colour. Beyond technique, I learned a love of detail, a strong work ethic, and a responsibility to care for the natural world. When I was setting up my home studio in a room previously used for storage, I had to sort through lots of old stuff. I found a box that had never been opened and almost put it in the trash pile since I didn’t even know what was in it. Luckily I decided to open it out of curiosity, and I found a portrait of my grandmother at exactly the age I was at the time. I hung it on the studio wall, and I can sense her as she watches me work, reminding me of the lessons she taught.

Could you discuss your distinctive use of collaging and silhouette techniques, and how they contribute to conveying the deeper messages or narratives within your artwork?

The silhouettes bring to mind a presence and absence. They are vestiges of ancient truths, reminders of what once existed but is now gone. I use silhouettes for repetition: by repeating my subjects I’m emphasising their value and importance, metaphorically propagating each plant to counteract the disappearance of natural habitats. By collaging with paper and creating something viewers enjoy, I’m demonstrating one of the many ways we use and benefit from nature. We have a complex relationship with it. Food, shelter, clothing, medicine, ceremony and symbolism are just a few of the ways we depend on plants, though often our lives still feel separate from them. I want to inspire some introspection as my viewers enjoy my work, possibly considering the ways they depend on nature too.

Read the rest and grab your copy of the Art Seen, Issue 12 published in May 2024.

Check out www.jillhaasstudio.com to learn more about the artist.