Have you ever taken a hiatus from something you really love?
Bicycling is something that gives me great joy. I love the thrill of the hills (up and down), the views, the smells, and even the tired muscles. For some inexplicable reason, I let my bike sit idle for the last couple of years.
Have you ever taken a pause like that? Why do we do that?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Here’s a video on the making of Paradise Found –
Questions? Interested in hanging this painting in your home? Contact holly@hollyvanhart.com. Click here for purchase info.
Whether you own 100 pieces of art or are looking for your first one, this book gives you the info you need to shop confidently (and have loads of fun!). Includes 5 things you must do when collecting original art, and 3 things to avoid.
Free instant download. No signup required.
If you like this book, please share it with your friends!
Here’s my latest abstracted forest painting –
Embracing the Light
48 x 60″ mixed media painting on canvas by Holly Van Hart
$7,500
This pic shows Embracing the Light installed (center) –
Abstracted forest paintings by Holly Van Hart
Woodland Symphony, Embracing the Light, Autumn Dance, and The Stories They Tell
Please contact holly@hollyvanhart.com or 650 646 5590 for availability and pricing. Your email or call is welcome any time.
The daisies in ‘Dream Field’ represent our dreams, some dreams bigger than others, some growing and developing, others on the decline, and all of them dancing around through the turbulence and beauty that we call life.
Here’s wishing that our biggest, boldest dreams come true!
Want to choose exciting colors for your home, but not sure what goes with what?
Get hot color tips with this Free resource guide.
No sign-up required.
If you like this book, please share it with your friends!
Possibilities in Full Color
24″ x 30″ oil painting by Holly Van Hart
Purchase (email holly@hollyvanhart.com)
When I look at the painting and am pleased with it, then it’s done.
To be pleased with it, the painting needs to convey the desired idea or feeling or mood, be well designed, well executed, and have some kind of pop or surprise or glow that makes it special. If it’s missing any one of these things, it’s not finished!
I sometimes have the feeling that a painting is done, but then after a couple of weeks, decide it needs further tweaks or even major changes. Then it goes back to the easel.
On rare occasions, I know right away when a painting is done. It feels like a personal breakthrough, and all the stars and moons have aligned, and I’m really digging what I see in front of me. Wish I had more of those days 🙂
Click here to see the rest of the Top 50 Questions
Be the first to get Holly Van Hart’s latest paintings, art exhibit news, and VIP members-only special offers (includes a free gift). Click here to learn more.
Morning Light
40″ x 30″ oil painting on canvas by Holly Van Hart (sold)
A few times a year my family spends the weekend at or near Lake Tahoe, CA. It’s a gorgeous place, with expansive views of the Sierras just about everywhere you look. And what makes it even more special is enjoying it with friends!
One Saturday morning, before everyone else was awake, I took a walk along the lake and snapped lots of photos. Back in my studio, I painted ‘Morning Light’. Morning is my favorite time of the day, and my aim was to convey a feeling of quiet and serenity.
Gallery Wrap side view of “Morning Light”
Springing
40″ x 30″ oil painting by Holly Van Hart (Sold)
‘Springing’ got its name because (to me) it looks like the whole painting is springing to life. A nest with 3 eggs, a tree with dozens of red flower buds, and sweeping textures are all combined to give the painting a certain energy and vivaciousness.
This painting now resides in a beautiful home in the UK. To see available paintings, click here.
btw, if you’re wondering ‘What’s up with all the nests?’, click here.
Sky Song is my latest abstract landscape painting. It’s full of heavily textured oil paints, which have a gorgeous sheen.
The distant mountains are gray and pink and purple and blue, and have an air of mystery.
The sky is alive with light. It’s singing a song. Can you hear it?
Here’s a flyover of ‘Sky Song’, so you can see the buttery texture of the oil paint –
To purchase, please email holly@hollyvanhart.com. Purchase details
If you live in Silicon Valley, delivery and installation are free. If you don’t, shipping is free!
Would you like to see this painting in person?
Unlimited Possibilities
Oil painting by Holly Van Hart (sold)
Buy a print
“Unlimited Possibilities” is all about the unlimited possibilities of the baby birds, not yet hatched, with their whole lives still ahead of them.
Parallels can be easily be made with our own lives and our children’s lives. No matter what age we might be now, the possibilities ahead really are unlimited. How exciting!
If you look closely, you can see underlying texture on this painting is oval shaped; this is meant harmonize with the shape of the eggs themselves.
The texture adds complexity to the painting, and symbolizes the complexity of nature and our lives. We may have unlimited possibilities in our lives, but it’s not always easy to take advantage of them.
Unlimited Possibilities
Side view
20″ x 20″ oil painting by Holly Van Hart
Unlimited Possibilities was one of 18 paintings in my solo exhibition at the Triton Museum of Art. For videos, pics, and a Triton Museum catalog (free), click here.
For a holiday party, I paired a painting with a custom cocktail. ‘The Boundary of Spring’ (above) was paired with a cocktail I named ‘Spring-tini’.
Here’s the recipe –
2 ounces vodka
1 ounce pear juice
1 ounce rosemary syrup (I used rosemary from our front garden)
A squeeze of fresh lemon (we picked the lemons from trees in our back yard)
Rosemary sprig, for garnish
Why Spring-tini is paired with The Boundary of Spring
The Spring-tini cocktail has pear juice. Pear is a soft flavor; it is analogous to the soft sky in the painting.
Rosemary has a tea-like aroma and an assertive piney flavor; it is analogous to the stronger color of the green/brown ground in the painting.
Vodka is a subtle but absolutely necessary component of this drink. Similarly, the texture in the painting is both subtle and absolutely necessary to the success of the painting.
Enjoy!
body,#bodyTable,#bodyCell{
height:100% !important;
margin:0;
padding:0;
width:100% !important;
}
table{
border-collapse:collapse;
}
img,a img{
border:0;
outline:none;
text-decoration:none;
}
h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6{
margin:0;
padding:0;
}
p{
margin:1em 0;
padding:0;
}
a{
word-wrap:break-word;
}
.mcnPreviewText{
display:none !important;
}
.ReadMsgBody{
width:100%;
}
.ExternalClass{
width:100%;
}
.ExternalClass,.ExternalClass p,.ExternalClass span,.ExternalClass font,.ExternalClass td,.ExternalClass div{
line-height:100%;
}
table,td{
mso-table-lspace:0pt;
mso-table-rspace:0pt;
}
#outlook a{
padding:0;
}
img{
-ms-interpolation-mode:bicubic;
}
body,table,td,p,a,li,blockquote{
-ms-text-size-adjust:100%;
-webkit-text-size-adjust:100%;
}
#bodyCell{
padding:0;
}
.mcnImage,.mcnRetinaImage{
vertical-align:bottom;
}
.mcnTextContent img{
height:auto !important;
}
body,#bodyTable{
background-color:#ffffff;
}
#bodyCell{
border-top:0;
}
h1{
color:#111111 !important;
display:block;
font-family:Helvetica;
font-size:40px;
font-style:normal;
font-weight:bold;
line-height:125%;
letter-spacing:-1px;
margin:0;
text-align:left;
}
h2{
color:#111111 !important;
display:block;
font-family:Helvetica;
font-size:26px;
font-style:normal;
font-weight:bold;
line-height:125%;
letter-spacing:-.75px;
margin:0;
text-align:left;
}
h3{
color:#111111 !important;
display:block;
font-family:Helvetica;
font-size:18px;
font-style:normal;
font-weight:bold;
line-height:125%;
letter-spacing:-.5px;
margin:0;
text-align:left;
}
h4{
color:#808080 !important;
display:block;
font-family:Helvetica;
font-size:16px;
font-style:normal;
font-weight:bold;
line-height:125%;
letter-spacing:normal;
margin:0;
text-align:left;
}
#templatePreheader{
background-color:#FFFFFF;
border-top:0;
border-bottom:0;
}
.preheaderContainer .mcnTextContent,.preheaderContainer .mcnTextContent p{
color:#606060;
font-family:Helvetica;
font-size:11px;
line-height:125%;
text-align:left;
}
.preheaderContainer .mcnTextContent a{
color:#606060;
font-weight:normal;
text-decoration:underline;
}
#templateHeader{
background-color:#FFFFFF;
border-top:0;
border-bottom:0;
}
.headerContainer .mcnTextContent,.headerContainer .mcnTextContent p{
color:#606060;
font-family:Helvetica;
font-size:15px;
line-height:150%;
text-align:left;
}
.headerContainer .mcnTextContent a{
color:#6DC6DD;
font-weight:normal;
text-decoration:underline;
}
#templateBody{
background-color:#ffffff;
border-top:0;
border-bottom:0;
}
.bodyContainer .mcnTextContent,.bodyContainer .mcnTextContent p{
color:#111111;
font-family:Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;
font-size:14px;
line-height:150%;
text-align:left;
}
.bodyContainer .mcnTextContent a{
color:#2d63ab;
font-weight:normal;
text-decoration:underline;
}
#templateFooter{
background-color:#ffffff;
border-top:0;
border-bottom:0;
}
.footerContainer .mcnTextContent,.footerContainer .mcnTextContent p{
color:#606060;
font-family:Helvetica;
font-size:11px;
line-height:125%;
text-align:left;
}
.footerContainer .mcnTextContent a{
color:#606060;
font-weight:normal;
text-decoration:underline;
}
@media only screen and (max-width: 480px){
body,table,td,p,a,li,blockquote{
-webkit-text-size-adjust:none !important;
}
} @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){
body{
width:100% !important;
min-width:100% !important;
}
} @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){
.mcnRetinaImage{
max-width:100% !important;
}
} @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){
table[class=mcnTextContentContainer]{
width:100% !important;
}
} @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){
.mcnBoxedTextContentContainer{
max-width:100% !important;
min-width:100% !important;
width:100% !important;
}
} @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){
table[class=mcpreview-image-uploader]{
width:100% !important;
display:none !important;
}
} @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){
img[class=mcnImage]{
width:100% !important;
}
} @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){
table[class=mcnImageGroupContentContainer]{
width:100% !important;
}
} @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){
td[class=mcnImageGroupContent]{
padding:9px !important;
}
} @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){
td[class=mcnImageGroupBlockInner]{
padding-bottom:0 !important;
padding-top:0 !important;
}
} @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){
tbody[class=mcnImageGroupBlockOuter]{
padding-bottom:9px !important;
padding-top:9px !important;
}
} @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){
table[class=mcnCaptionTopContent],table[class=mcnCaptionBottomContent]{
width:100% !important;
}
} @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){
table[class=mcnCaptionLeftTextContentContainer],table[class=mcnCaptionRightTextContentContainer],table[class=mcnCaptionLeftImageContentContainer],table[class=mcnCaptionRightImageContentContainer],table[class=mcnImageCardLeftTextContentContainer],table[class=mcnImageCardRightTextContentContainer],.mcnImageCardLeftImageContentContainer,.mcnImageCardRightImageContentContainer{
width:100% !important;
}
} @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){
td[class=mcnImageCardLeftImageContent],td[class=mcnImageCardRightImageContent]{
padding-right:18px !important;
padding-left:18px !important;
padding-bottom:0 !important;
}
} @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){
td[class=mcnImageCardBottomImageContent]{
padding-bottom:9px !important;
}
} @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){
td[class=mcnImageCardTopImageContent]{
padding-top:18px !important;
}
} @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){
td[class=mcnImageCardLeftImageContent],td[class=mcnImageCardRightImageContent]{
padding-right:18px !important;
padding-left:18px !important;
padding-bottom:0 !important;
}
} @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){
td[class=mcnImageCardBottomImageContent]{
padding-bottom:9px !important;
}
} @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){
td[class=mcnImageCardTopImageContent]{
padding-top:18px !important;
}
} @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){
table[class=mcnCaptionLeftContentOuter] td[class=mcnTextContent],table[class=mcnCaptionRightContentOuter] td[class=mcnTextContent]{
padding-top:9px !important;
}
} @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){
td[class=mcnCaptionBlockInner] table[class=mcnCaptionTopContent]:last-child td[class=mcnTextContent],.mcnImageCardTopImageContent,.mcnCaptionBottomContent:last-child .mcnCaptionBottomImageContent{
padding-top:18px !important;
}
} @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){
td[class=mcnBoxedTextContentColumn]{
padding-left:18px !important;
padding-right:18px !important;
}
} @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){
td[class=mcnTextContent]{
padding-right:18px !important;
padding-left:18px !important;
}
} @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){
table[class=templateContainer]{
max-width:600px !important;
width:100% !important;
}
} @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){
h1{
font-size:24px !important;
line-height:125% !important;
}
} @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){
h2{
font-size:20px !important;
line-height:125% !important;
}
} @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){
h3{
font-size:18px !important;
line-height:125% !important;
}
} @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){
h4{
font-size:16px !important;
line-height:125% !important;
}
} @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){
table[class=mcnBoxedTextContentContainer] td[class=mcnTextContent],td[class=mcnBoxedTextContentContainer] td[class=mcnTextContent] p{
font-size:18px !important;
line-height:125% !important;
}
} @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){
table[id=templatePreheader]{
display:block !important;
}
} @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){
td[class=preheaderContainer] td[class=mcnTextContent],td[class=preheaderContainer] td[class=mcnTextContent] p{
font-size:14px !important;
line-height:115% !important;
}
} @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){
td[class=headerContainer] td[class=mcnTextContent],td[class=headerContainer] td[class=mcnTextContent] p{
font-size:18px !important;
line-height:125% !important;
}
} @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){
td[class=bodyContainer] td[class=mcnTextContent],td[class=bodyContainer] td[class=mcnTextContent] p{
font-size:18px !important;
line-height:125% !important;
}
} @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){
td[class=footerContainer] td[class=mcnTextContent],td[class=footerContainer] td[class=mcnTextContent] p{
font-size:14px !important;
line-height:115% !important;
}
} @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){
td[class=footerContainer] a[class=utilityLink]{
display:block !important;
}
}
<!–
|
Source: Mailchimp
Possibilities Abound
30″ x 40″ oil painting by Holly Van Hart (sold)
Grand Prize Award – California Statewide Painting Competition
Originally published in 2013, and just updated with info on upcoming events and prints.
I’m walking on air . . . I was honored to have won Grand Prize at the California Statewide Painting Competition.
The 1st place award was a solo exhibition at the Triton Museum of Art. (To see pics and videos of my solo show, click here.)
In the words of the curators of the Triton Museum of Art . . .
“Holly van Hart warmed the jurors with her painting Possibilities Abound. A nest cradles eggs, rendered with a confident, loose brushstroke that evokes a sense that this could be any nest, anywhere. And as with all great art, the metaphor returns the image to contemplations of us, the viewers. Avian becomes human, the unborn promise becomes our own possibilities, to be nurtured and explored. We are seeing nothing less than the potential of the human spirit, nestled in nature’s bed.”
– Preston Metcalf, Chief Curator
– Ester Fernandez, Curator of Education/Curator
– Stephanie Learmonth, Registrar/Curator
Click here for photos taken at the Triton Museum during the 2013 California Statewide Painting Competition Exhibition.
For upcoming events, click here.
This painting is sold. For prints, click here.
Sign up below, and you’ll be the first to know about upcoming art shows.
You’ll also get early access to new paintings and other special offers.
(One email every 2-3 weeks.)
To see past events, please check out Holly Van Hart’s resume/CV (includes the most important career highlights such as solo shows, museum shows, awards, fellowships, and press, podcasts, and TV interviews.
My intent for Winter Sparkle was to create a winter scene that draws you in.
The sky had to be sparkly, and give the effect of light shimmering through the trees. (Turns out this required about 20 layers of light blue, yellow and pink paints.)
I wanted the path to be inviting.
The painting was intended to give the feeling of one of those cold, wintry days that makes you feel so alive!
This painting is inspired by the same forest as my painting entitled Summer Sparkle. Same forest, different season. To see the latest spring, summer, fall, and winter forest paintings, click here.
To see the pics and video of the making of Summer Sparkle, click here.
Some people think that depressed or angry people create better art. Is that true?
Or, can happy people create masterpieces too?
There are no simple answers to these questions of course, but just for fun let’s look at a sample of the world’s greatest artists (my personal faves) and explore the question. Here goes . . .
“The New Novel”, Winslow Homer, 1877
Winslow Homer (1836-1910) was considered the greatest American painter of his time. He created extraordinary landscapes, marine paintings, and figures too. Homer was a recluse and a bit odd, but not depressed, enraged or insane. That’s one point for ‘satisfied souls’.
“Goat Horn with Red”, Georgia O’Keeffe, 1945
Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986) revolutionized American modern art with bold abstracts, landscapes and flowers. For decades she lived by herself in New Mexico, and sometimes suffered from serious depression. One point for ‘tortured souls’.
“No. 1 (Royal Red and Blue)”, Mark Rothko, 1954
Mark Rothko (1903-1970) was a Russian-Jewish abstract painter who emigrated to the US at the age of 10. He achieved huge commercial success during his lifetime. Rothko was most certainly depressed, drank heavily, took barbiturates, and sadly, at age 66, committed suicide. Add a second point for ‘tortured’.
“Norham Castle – Sunrise”, JMW Turner, c 1835
JMW Turner (1775-1851) was a renowned English landscape painter known as “the painter of light”. Turner seemed like a fairly normal guy. He had plenty of friends, and wasn’t depressed, enraged, or insane. Now it’s even, two points for ‘tortured’ and two points for ‘satisfied’.
“La Grande Vallee XIII”, Joan Mitchell, 1983
Joan Mitchell (1925 -1992) was a prominent Abstract Expressionist who lived in Chicago, Manhattan, and Paris. Mitchell was an alcoholic, often depressed, and described many of her paintings as “violent and angry”. ‘Tortured souls’ lead at 3 points to 2.
The Grand Escape
30 x 40″ oil and acrylic painting by Holly Van Hart
Purchase
This last painting, very humbly put after the ‘greats’ above it, is mine. As for me, am I enraged or depressed or feeling like a tortured soul? No, not especially, but on any given day I may be any of those things. (Just ask my husband and children.) Is my art better on those days? No, but I think it is more experimental, sometimes to better effect but not always.
Summing up this totally non-scientific survey . . . The ‘tortured souls’ are ahead at 3 points (Rothko, O’Keeffe, Mitchell) to 2 (Turner, Homer). Perhaps the conclusion is ‘you don’t have to be unhappy to create great art, but it helps’.
What do you think? Do tortured souls create more expressive art? Leave a comment on Facebook www.facebook.com/hollyvanhart or Email me with your thoughts – holly@hollyvanhart.com
Landscapes are a subject I come back to again and again. Even in the midst of working on a series of forest or flower paintings, sometimes I feel compelled to paint an abstract landscape using oil paints.
With ‘Grazing the Light’, I was aiming to capture the feeling of an overcast day, but with some sunlight breaking through. Across the expanse of water, we can see mountains near and far. But what is that splash of yellow/orange? Is it man-made or natural? It is meant to add mystery to the painting.
It’s hard to see in this digital image, but etched into the foreground of this painting (bottom left) is part of a poem by Walt Whitman, “Every hour is an unspeakably perfect miracle”.
If you’d like to see a higher resolution image, please lmk.
To purchase, email holly@hollyvanhart.com. Free shipping in the US.
At cocktail parties and other fun social events, people often ask me questions about life as an artist.
Click here for the Top 50 Questions and answers! (And videos!)
Holly Van Hart
Click here for the Top 50 Questions
Autumn Dance
48 x 36″ mixed media painting by Holly Van Hart
Purchase
Buy a print
Just wanted to thank you, my friends, collectors, followers, and other art-lovers, for all your support and enthusiasm. You’re awesome. My life is richer because of you!
One of my recent paintings took an imaginative and unexpected turn. It started out as one thing, but ended up as something else entirely!
I started this painting thinking it would be an abstracted forest. Once the sky was painted, I was going to let it dry before working on the trees and leaves.
But . . . I was really digging the colors and simplicity of this first layer of paint, and decided to go in a different direction.
The painting would be an abstract landscape. It would need many more layers to give it the depth and glow I was seeking.
And here’s the finished painting . . .
What does this painting make you think of? I’ve heard many different interpretations from friends and other studio vistors!
The Boundary of Spring
48 x 36″ oil and acrylic painting by Holly Van Hart
$4800
Currently hanging in my entryway, but it could be hanging in yours!
More info
* For purchase info, click here.
* Questions? Interested in owning this painting? Please contact holly@hollyvanhart.com or 650 646 5590. Your email or call is always welcome.
* See this painting in person with a studio visit or with the try-out program.
For more videos, check out hollyvanhart.com/YouTube-Videos
Soft Start
Oil painting by Holly Van Hart (sold)
Buy a print
Wishing that your day will be as full of exciting possibilities . . .
as the eggs being incubated in this cozy feathered nest.
(Do any birds’ nests actually look like this? Well, yes, kind of . . . learn more here.
Holly
P.S. Soft Start was featured in my solo exhibition at the Triton Museum of Art. Would you like to know more about the show? You’re invited to read my interview in the Huffington Post, or to view the pics and videos from the museum exhibition.
For more videos, click here – hollyvanhart.com/YouTube-Videos
Have you ever been drawn to something so strongly that you needed to do it? Even if it was risky and even if you might not succeed, you knew this was the right direction for you?
With ‘Into the World of Light’, I wanted the viewer to feel compelled to enter the painting. To bask in the warmth of the sun. To explore what’s over those hills. To ponder the freedoms that lie ahead.
To find the right direction for myself, I usually need lots of time to think and let my mind wander freely. Without that, it’s too easy to get pulled into everyday obligations and routines.
‘The gift of time’ is one of the best things I can do for myself. Do you find the same?
Here are in-progress pics for Into the World of Light –
The start of the painting. It may look like fog, but my plan is for this to become a well-lit forest.
Next I painted in the sunlit field and (at the top) some branches and leaves.
Here I’m using my new watercolor techniques (but with acrylic paints).
Close-up of the sunlit mountain.
Finished!
Into the World of Light
48 x 60″ mixed media painting by Holly Van Hart
New!
Some earlier experiments with watercolor techniques (using acrylic paints) have led me to paint a whole new series of abstract landscapes. ‘Sense of Marvel’ is one of the latest paintings in this series.
I’m always pushing myself to paint more abstractly. When you look at this painting, what do you see? Please lmk! (holly@hollyvanhart.com) I’ve heard many interpretations and don’t want to spoil your fun by listing them here.
Would you like to see this painting in person?
To purchase, email holly@hollyvanhart.com. Free shipping in the US.
Dreaming in Full Color
Oil painting by Holly Van Hart (sold)
Buy a print
When we’re young, most of us have big dreams for our lives. Have your dreams changed over time? Do you find that some doors have closed, but other (perhaps better) doors have opened?
Do you dream in full color?
My long-term dream of being a professional artist has come true, and my sons are turning into fine young men, but many of my other dreams have slipped away. Or maybe they just haven’t happened yet (like my dream of exercising consistently).
At the age of 15, my older son Skyler dreams of being a pediatrician, a software developer, or an ‘IT guy’. Erik, age 13, wants to be an architect or engineer or inventor like his Dad. At this age, all doors are open. Anything is possible! They are, as they should be, dreaming in full color. Isn’t that grand?
In this painting, ‘Dreaming in Full Color’, the flowers represent our dreams, shown in their full glory. The flowers are dancing around through the turbulence and beauty that we call life. Some dreams won’t survive this turbulence, but others will become bigger and stronger.
When it comes to your dreams, here’s wishing that your most color-full ones come true!
Your friend,
Holly
P.S. This post is based on one of the Top 50 Questions I’m asked as an artist (usually at cocktail parties and other fun events). To see the Top 50, click here.
Summer Sparkle
48 x 36″ oil and acrylic painting by Holly Van Hart (sold)
Buy a print
A couple of years ago, I set about creating a brand new art website (the site you’re on right now). I learned lots, had fun, and am happy with the result. But it took waaaaaaaaay longer than expected.
So that others could learn from my experience, I wrote an article about lessons learned called “Build Your Own Website in 10 Minutes (Not)“. The article is posted on Alyson Stanfield’s art marketing blog, artbizcoach.com blog. Read the article here.
btw, if you’re an artist, I’d highly recommend subscribing to the artbizcoach.com blog.
Do you have any experience with building your own website? If so, we’d love to hear from you – holly@hollyvanhart.com
To live life to the fullest, we’re often told to give the highest value to our relationships. And that things like fancy cars, clothes, homes, TVs, phones, etc give us only very fleeting pleasure.
Do you find this to be true for yourself?
I do, for the most part. Spending time with family and friends is my absolute favorite thing in the world. Hands down. Without question. I value these relationships above all things. (Hence the name of the painting.)
Don’t get me wrong . . . many things give me lasting pleasure too. Mostly visual things. I still love the shape of the wedding ring we picked out over 15 years ago. And the windows in our home that let in lots of light. And some pieces of our furniture. My husband’s garden. The list is very long.
What’s your experience? What do you value ‘above all things’?
To check out more flower paintings and the inspirations behind them, click here.
