JKH Fine Art You Are Here 14.5 oz Soy Candle

$40.00

JKH Fine Art Candle Collaboration: You Are Here

15% of the proceeds from this candle will support the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

  • Scent Notes: Lily + Rain + Oakmoss
  • 14.5 oz
  • 50+ hours of burn time
  • Hand poured locally
  • Reuse the vessel for a pencil jar or flower vase

My niece Jackie Hilmes is an amazing human being who also happens to be a very talented artist. I believe the world needs to know about her artwork, so I asked her to collaborate on this special project. Each candle in the JKH Fine Art Collection features a snapshot from an original painting. 

Candle Name: “You are Here”

Title of Art: “You are Here"

Artwork Information: 35” x 60” | Oil and oil pastel on canvas

A Word From the Artist:   

I cut, assembled, and stretched this canvas nearly 13 years ago. I set up my easel in my little apartment in Chicago, and began to paint but with several starts and stops, I struggled to make the canvas my own. So, this painting was put on pause, traveling with me from apartment to apartment, often tucked behind doorways or in closets collecting dust for years.

In the isolation of 2020, I gave it another try. Sure enough a layer went on in colorful oil pastel and shortly thereafter, the final layer of paint petals. It took many years, several locations, mixed mediums, and many versions of myself, but the painting eventually became one that I loved. 

I remember looking at this piece when it was evolving – it frustrated me. It made me doubt my creative abilities, and I often wanted to try to sell it for cheap or leave it at an old apartment to rid myself of it. I am so glad I didn’t give up on this piece. I was judging it harshly when it wasn’t done becoming. I hope you are following the metaphor. We are all a work in progress. It can take time, feel isolating, and surface challenging emotions. But, don’t give up. It may take some time, but we are all becoming our own masterpiece.

Artwork in a private collection in Winnetka, Illinois.