Today we’d like to introduce you to Martin Holloway.
Hi Martin, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My story starts in a small town called Rolla, Missouri. My older brother and I were born and raised there to a Filipino mother and Black father. Like most kids, I loved to make art. I would spend countless hours reading animal encyclopedias and drawing them. I would paint random creatures, give them names and my parents would collect them. That set the stage for my creative journey.
I knew early on that I wanted to live a creative life, but I didn’t know what that might look like. When I started going to school I enrolled in art classes every year. When I got to high school, I made a decision to focus on graphic design as my creative outlet and I continued studying graphic design through college – still making art along the way. Eventually, I graduated from the Art Institute of St. Louis in 2017, spent a few years doing some traveling and moved to Jacksonville, Florida in 2019.
Since moving to Jacksonville, I’ve been so creatively inspired by our amazing art community. I started taking drawing classes at the local art center, painting murals with other artists and paving my way and building confidence to come into my own as an artist. I consider this chapter of living in Jacksonville to be my coming of age story with art. I am very fortunate to currently spend my day as a graphic designer for a tech company and my nights focused on creating art and growing my business. I’m 29 now. That’s the short version.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Life isn’t a smooth road for anyone. There have been some personal struggles with pursuing my dreams. The biggest one was changing my mindset and belief in my heart that my creativity should be shared with the world. I’ve had to deal with “impostor syndrome” and face my self doubt and criticism to overcome it. Also, in my late teens to mid 20’s, I had to put my family first. My parents divorced, my mother lost her home and my brother went to prison. For me normal life was turned upside down and I felt a responsibility to be there for my family. When my brother got out of prison, he moved in with me to get back on his feet. Although these were challenges I faced, I never looked at them as roadblocks. If anything, it made me more determined to pursue my artistic passions. These challenges have become the foundation of my values; care and concern for others, creativity in my work and courage in life.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I go by the name “thegullyartist”, being inspired by a movie and wanting the name to represent the raw authentic parts of myself in my art. In 2022, I launched my umbrella LLC, Holloway Creative Services. Underneath this is Gully Arts Studio, the creative studio arm of my business. My creative focus is painting, murals, illustration and graphic design, and these are the main offerings of my business.
My passion for painting is driven by being a visual story teller. You’ll see a lot of portraiture, animals, nature scenes and lettering in my work. You’ll also see some interesting abstract characters and scenes. I consider my art to be an exploration of color, symbolism and cultural representation that sets it apart and something that is continually evolving.
My most current work is focused on narrative portraits. This process combines portrait painting with different subjects to the scene to create a larger narrative to the painting. An example could be a portrait with a lady bug pattern in the background. I’m also working on some abstract animal paintings that use only primary colors. On the graphic design side I’m working on some digital illustrations that can be an inspiration for future murals. Speaking it into existence now, I’d love to do illustration work for things like local music festivals and events, and paint more murals for local businesses.
Art gives me an opportunity to share my perspective with the world and create something that connects with people in a sense beyond myself. My favorite mediums are acrylic paint for canvas paintings and spray paint / wall paint for murals. One project I’m most proud of is being able to paint a mural for the manatee exhibit at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens in January 2026.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up I was very curious. I questioned everything. Making art was my main interest and how I would express myself. My personality was full of love and excitement for life and I feel like it’s still the same now. I had a good friend group. My friends and family meant a lot to me and they still mean a lot to me now. I had a strong defining moment of understanding myself realizing I was being raised by a single mother that is also an immigrant to this country. That made me want to explore more to see what I could make of life and pursue art.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.gullyarts.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegullyartist
