Meet Hillary Solterbeck | Artist

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

Hi Hillary, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I’m the kind of person who always has a million thoughts running through my mind and I’ve found that creating art really allows me to slow down and focus. So when I started considering what I wanted to do as a career, I felt like it should be doing something I love considering we spend the majority of our lives working.

I discovered at a young age a strong desire to create art which lead me to exploring different mediums. I dabbled in areas like cosmetology, special effects makeup and playing the piano (my life long hobby). But drawing has always been my passion. So I feel grateful to be able to pursue it as my career.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
I believe what sets me apart is the background I come from. I have a mother who is more artistic and a father who is more analytical. I work as both an artist and as an accountant. So when I’m drawing, I tend to become a perfectionist which helps with all the fine details I create. I typically work with a mixture of graphite and charcoal, both in pencil and powder form. I like to use dry paint brushes to apply powders and move everything around to blend and create softer textures. It is a messy medium to work with, but I love every bit of it.

I’m most proud of the gifted and commissioned personal portraits I’ve done over the years. Seeing how happy someone is after they receive a drawing of their loved one is one of my favorite feelings I will never tire of.
I’m excited about the new things I’m learning every day and recently I have been dipping my toes in the digital drawing world. There is a lot to learn and I’m looking forward to what the future holds with all of its endless possibilities.

It hasn’t always been easy but social media and its many art groups have been very useful for networking and just getting my work out there. Also, word of mouth has been a huge benefit in allowing me to continue working on commissions over the years. As time has passed, I have learned that I need to work on something that is only for me in between commissions. Something unstructured and off beat from what I finished spending so many hours on. I think changing it up regularly is helpful to keep your motivation and ideas brewing on high.

What do I want the world to know about my art? I suppose not anything specific. I really love to draw and create. I draw what I like and what I envision. It’s a life-long passion and I’m lucky to have others who also enjoy and support what I do. I’m always learning and growing so who knows where that will take me in the years to come.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Its hard to say but I really enjoy the outdoors so if a friend was visiting Tucson, I would probably take them camping up on Mount Lemmon where it is cool and full of trees. We could easily camp all week! I also have always loved Tucson Botanical Gardens and hiking up Sabino Canyon.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would love to give a huge shoutout to my mom, Lisa. She helped me discover the creative world and guided me in my artistic endeavors. Being a talented painter herself, she taught me how to see the dimensions in the world around me so I could translate it onto paper. She has always been an inspiration, coach and one of my biggest supporters.

I would also like to mention a couple of artists that unknowingly made a huge impact on me, Emanuele Dascanio and Jono Dry. Both mastering the use of graphite, I have been observing them for years in awe of their abilities and techniques. They’ve helped motivate me to continue my journey to become the artist I want to be.

Instagram: Instagram.com/HillarySolterbeck_Artistry

Facebook: Facebook.com/HillaryAnnetteArtistry