Meet Olivia Hudgins | Visual Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Olivia Hudgins and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Olivia, what inspires you?
There’s inspiration everywhere you look, especially as an artist. I find inspiration strikes me when I least expect it, when I see an interesting landscape or building, or the way the light strikes someone’s face, or a color combination that makes me look twice. I save these bits of information in my head and draw upon them when creating a piece of artwork.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My love for art has always been split in two directions – portrait drawing and painting, and colorful abstractions. As I’ve grown as an artist, I’ve bounced between these two interests periodically, which has taken my art in some interesting directions. I feel that there is a certain pressure as an artist to settle on a personal signature style, and I have always struggled with being interested in so many potential styles that I struggle to settle on just one. Currently, my art has been focused on graphite pencil portraits and I am very interested in starting a new series of paintings that centers around the shape of natural landscapes, contour lines, and striking color combinations.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I am originally for Durham, NC, and there are so many amazing places to check out in town. My favorite place to eat is Cosmic Cantina, I always get a veggie burrito and sit out on the patio. Some of my favorite spots to hang out are the 21c Museum Hotel downtown, the Eno River, and Ninth Street (particularly the Regulator Bookshop).

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to give a shoutout to my husband, Justus Hudgins, who is also a visual artist. We met in a studio art class at our university during a really special time when I was experimenting with my style as an artist. We spent so many hours together in that studio, and so much time painting together since. I really value his opinion and vision. He always takes time to listen and talk with me about my art and give me great feedback. It means a lot to have that kind of consistent artistic support in my life.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oliviahudginsart/