Daily Inspiration: Meet Bryce Holt

Today we’d like to introduce you to Bryce Holt.

Hi Bryce, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
After spending the first 20 years of my career as an executive in the software industry, I changed in 2021 to painting art full-time. Since we started The Patrons two years ago, I have created over 140 paintings, and I’m just getting started. I am a self-taught artist with a focus on figurative and representational work. The key component to my work is that there is a story behind each piece of art I create. Storytelling is at the heart of my work. I like to have narrative content in my paintings that intellectually and emotionally examine things. I like to incorporate history and societal impact in my work. My work can deal with weighty issues like death, injustice, misogyny, or religion. My work can also be light-hearted, make pop culture references, or be a fun painting I do in collaboration with my six-year-old daughter. Artists are storytellers, but all too often, the narrative behind a painting never gets shared. My brother Kyle’s and my research shows that 83% of people feel a stronger connection to art once they learn the story behind a piece. Ultimately, I want my work to tell a story that will outlive me. Before Kyle and I started The Patrons in 2021, we had a software business with brands like S/P2, Safe Gatherings, LocalGovU, and others. When we sold those businesses, Kyle & I had to figure out what we wanted to do now. I told Kyle I wanted to create art full-time, and he said, “If you’re going to create art, let me promote it,” with that, we were off and running. He was always ‘Mr. Outside,’ handling sales, marketing, and networking. I was always ‘Mr. Inside,’ handling product and operations. That has stayed the same with The Patrons. I can paint full-time because Kyle is there to support and promote my work. We run this like any other business – we work 8 am to 5 pm every business day; I paint art rather than work with programmers now.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It hasn’t been smooth, but we’ve played the entrepreneur game for over 20 years, so we didn’t expect ‘smooth.’ When I first started painting, I thought I was better than I was. I’ve learned so much in two years and have a completely different eye and technique than when I started. I produce 6-8 paintings a month on average, so I can see a shift in my style happen in months rather than years. I’m a big believer in quality through quantity – the more art I create, the better I’ll get. When we started this process, Kyle was pulled back into the family business for a large part of 2022 and a little bit at the start of 2023. He had to handle several items that were holdovers from our previous brands, but he’s able to work now 80-90% focused on The Patrons, and it’s getting better all the time.

Right now, I’m working on a series of 66 paintings – one for every book of the Bible. It’s not ultra-religious. It’s more questioning than anything. Finding a place to show all the work in a single venue is what is proving most difficult for us currently. So if any of your readers have a venue, Kyle and I want to talk to them!

Going from running a software company to working within the art industry is very different. However, we are persistent, and I’ve committed the rest of my working life to creating art, whatever may come. I’ve got about 1600 – 2000 paintings that I can complete in my lifetime, and I’m only about 140 in. So many stories still to tell!

Thanks for sharing that. So, you could tell us more about your work. next
What sets us apart is that there is an ‘us.’ Having my brother on my team makes a huge difference and allows us to each focus on separate efforts. Another major difference is that we spent over 20 years in business together, so we approach The Patrons and our relationships in the art industry with an entrepreneurial mindset. I don’t take offense when someone criticizes my work. Kyle and I know that it will take 25, 50, or 100 no’s to get to a yes, but we also know how to put in the effort to make it happen.

In terms of my style and what I’m known for, I’d say three things make my work stand out as mine.

1. Number one, there’s a story for each piece, and I will ensure you know the story. The story will be included with my posts on Instagram, they’re included with the work on the website, and when you come to one of my shows, making sure the viewer knows the story is the key to the success of my exhibitions.
2. Number two, I don’t do a lot with backgrounds. Instead, I utilize more flat colors, especially dark colors and deep blacks, to get the viewer to pay attention to the content I want them to focus on. I feel like backgrounds are a waste of my time at this point. If I want you to see a tree, I don’t put it in the forest. I put the tree front and center and surrounded it with black because the story is about the tree, not the forest.
3. Number three, we put on a show when you come to our exhibitions. It’s interactive. We ask for feedback. You leave having had an experience! We want each attendee to have fun, to learn something, and we want to learn something from everyone who was there. Coming to one of my shows is the best date night! Wine, art, stories, interactivity, conversation – we ensure that people want to stay at the show longer and can’t wait to return to the next one.

What does success mean to you?
Success for The Patrons would include:

• Art that endures long after we are dead and gone.
• We support other living artists by acquiring and showing over 150 pieces from emerging artists like myself. We already have 27 works of art from other rising stars in the art world, so we’re on our way.
• People enjoy the art I create in their homes and businesses and, ultimately, in museums worldwide.
• Kyle and I got to work together for our entire careers and enjoyed the whole ride.

Pricing:

• My artwork varies in price from $150 to $5,000
• Everything is negotiable, and we love crazy offers
• We’re not above trading or bartering
• We also have options to lease or lease-to-own art

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thepatrons.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepatrons/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePatrons.Art
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-patrons-art