It’s actually, 3 short video tours – a partial tour of my home gallery, a tour of the (cleaned up) studio where I paint, and a tour of the (messy) studio a few days before the event.
Want to check it out in person? My studio is located in Saratoga, CA. Please call or email me (650 646 5590, holly.vanhart@gmail.com) to make an appointment. Click for details.
I was awarded an artist fellowship by The Clark Hulings Fund for Visual Artists for 2017, and again in 2018, and am feeling very honored.
The Clark Hulings Fund for Visual Artists is an acclaimed national nonprofit organization. It has chosen twenty artist fellows for its Business Accelerator Program, including me 🙂
The selected artists will participate in CHF’s innovative and comprehensive initiative, which seeks to transform the art industry by helping artists better manage their businesses.
Guess what . . The San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art has an amazing show called Detritus. An image of my studio wall is included!Posted here from Instagram
While strolling in my neighborhood recently (in Saratoga, CA), I spotted a wooded field with sun streaming through the trees. The shadows and colors were captivating! I snapped some pics and excitedly ran back to my studio. Many moons later, this is what resulted –
Relaxing in the Pause 31 x 50″ mixed media painting by Holly Van Hart $4500
We lead such hectic lives, and I wanted this painting to give us reason to slow down and ponder the fascinations of life. Hence the title, “Relaxing in the Pause”.
If you’re interested, please contact me (holly.vanhart@gmail.com, 650 646 5590). For VIP members, shipping is free in the continental US. To see this painting in person, you are welcome to come for a studio visit.
Meet “Posh”. In this swirl of shiny ribbons, three eggs are being incubated by parents who have a passion for lovely things.
We all share a passion for beauty. Some of us prefer the beauty of nature, others prefer human-made beauty. And many of us (like the birds that built this nest) seek a big dose of each!
I’d like to introduce you to ‘Nest at Night’, the latest member of my Possibilities series.
‘Nest at Night’ is a more abstracted painting than most of the others in this series. I was inspired by –
* the idea (the virtually limitless possibilities we have in our lives if we choose to embrace them),
* the mood (mysterious), and
* the color (a very deep red).
As I was painting, I got absorbed (and even lost) in the reds. It took many layers of oil paint (and believe it or not, many different colors) to achieve the desired hue and depth. The dark reds and the sliver of a moon contribute to the mysterious feel of this work.
Do you like mystery in artwork? I’d love to know; please comment below.
“You too I welcome”
24 x 30″ oil painting by Holly Van Hart (sold)
Re-sharing a special moment from 2009 . . . I have some good news to share with you. My painting “You too I welcome” was accepted into the California Fine Art Competition and Exhibition, and it won an Award of Merit.
The juror was Jack Ogden, Professor Emeritus, California State University, Sacramento. Jack Ogden has received numerous awards and honors over his career, and his work is in the permanent collections of many museums.
Thank you Professor Ogden. I’m feeling very honored 🙂
What do school soccer and ‘Threshold of Miracles’ have in common?
Inspiration is everywhere!
The inspiration for this painting was a big bush of white roses planted at a local high school. The roses were brilliantly lit in the afternoon sun. I noticed them during the half-time break from my son’s soccer game, and couldn’t resist snapping a bunch of photos.
Using my computer, I tried a few combinations of photos until one stood out as the best design. Then I set to work in my studio with paints and brushes and lots of excitement!
This painting is called ‘Threshold of Miracles’. It symbolizes all the amazing things we can do with our lives (and the miracles we can create) when we keep our eyes open.
Wishing you lots of sunshine and miracles in your life!
With this new tree painting Slipping Between the Notes, the “notes” are the leaves on the trees. My intention was to paint a sunny, happy forest that tempted you to come in and play.
Will you please join me here, running around and slipping between the notes?
Slipping Between the Notes 36 x 48″ mixed media painting by Holly Van Hart $5800 To purchase, contact Iris Shih at X-Power Gallery, angeldeva@gpdeva.com
Here are some in-progress pics for this painting –
I started by putting a fresh canvas flat on a table. I used lots of drippy paints and tilted the canvas as needed to spread the colors. Then it was left overnight to dry.
Next I painted in the tree trunks, and added bigger blocks of sunny colors throughout.
I started defining the leaves more clearly (see the middle of the painting).
Close up view
Here’s the finished painting –
Slipping Between the Notes 36 x 48″ mixed media painting by Holly Van Hart $5800 To purchase, contact Iris Shih at X-Power Gallery, angeldeva@gpdeva.com
And here’s how it would look against a blue wall –
Slipping Between the Notes by Holly Van Hart Installed on a kitchen wall Would you like to hang this painting in your home? Contact Iris Shih at X-Power Gallery, angeldeva@gpdeva.com
Abundance 30 x 40″ oil painting by Holly Van Hart (sold) Buy a print
Abundance is part of my Possibilities series that includes nests and eggs as the subject. This painting signifies the abundant possibilities that are available to the little lives that are in this very full nest.
The calm of the surface of the eggs is offset by the variety of colors and complicated weaving of the nest. This contrast reflects the reality of our lives, which are often some combination of calm, colorful, and complicated.
Like most of my work, Abundance was built up using multiple layers of oil paints. The layers give a special glow to the eggs, and extra texture and depth to the nest.
Possibilities in Full Bloom 30″ x 40″ oil painting by Holly Van Hart $3800 Story behind the painting
s and eggs) and emphasize their rhythm.
Most of my texture is created using heavy acrylics in an underpainting. That is, my first step is to apply acrylic paints to the stretched canvas (usually red paint, applied thickly), and let that dry before starting the first layer of oil paints. The textured swirls are made using a variety of tools; my favorites being a painting knife and a hair comb. (You can see a video demo of the texture process here.)
The texture sometimes aligns with the subject of the painting, and sometimes goes against the natural lines of what’s represented in the painting. That’s on purpose. It mirrors the complexity of our lives.
The Boundary of Spring 48 x 36″ oil painting on canvas by Holly Van Hart
Great question. I like all artists who push the envelope in some exciting way.
Some of my favorite artistic influences include JMW Turner’s late expressionistic landscapes, Georgia O’Keeffe’s magnified images of nature, Mark Rothko’s color-fields, and Joan Mitchell’s huge abstract expressionist paintings. I’m also a huge fan of Walt Whitman, an American poet.
So excited to open a special envelope . . . it contains my forest painting on the cover of Denver Life Magazine. (As well as a 2-page spread inside the magazine.) Join me! Click on video to view.
Every Restless Night, 48×48″ painting by Holly Van Hart Featured on the cover of Denver Life Magazine
So honored to have this painting featured in the 2019 Designer Showhouse in Denver, Colorado, and on the cover of Denver Life Magazine.
Pictured from left are: Juno Szalay, vice regent of the Los Altos chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution; award-winning artist Holly Van Hart; and Donna Santistevan, chapter regent.
Possibilities on High 24 x 30″ oil painting on canvas by Holly Van Hart
Hi there. Meet ‘Possibilities on High’.
In the upper right of this painting, you can see a big and colorful bird’s nest. It’s sitting up high on the branches of huge magnolia tree, on a warm summer day.
The nest looks peacefully and securely settled in the tree. At the same time, it is quite exposed.
If I were an egg, I’d love to live in this nest in a magnolia tree (despite the risks of exposure). Would you?
Holly Van Hart (left) being interviewed by Heather Durham (right) for her Silicon Valley TV show, SVTAGS
I was honored to be interviewed by Heather Durham on her Silicon Valley TV show.
“On this show, Holly talks about her art, career change, and some amazing honors she has received since she has started this new career. We also get a peak at some of her work.” – Heather Durham, Executive Producer, SVTAGS (http://www.svtags.org/)
What does ‘vulnerability’ mean to you? Does hearing that word make you squirm and feel uncomfortable? It does that to me!
To put it all out there, my most vulnerable moments are when . . .
* I express love or appreciation to someone, and am not sure whether the feeling is returned
* My art is being exhibited and I’m in a room full of people seeing it for the first time
* I send an image of a new painting to all the people on my VIP email list
* Someone unsubscribes to my email list (ouch!)
* I post a new painting or article (like this one) on this blog
* My work is not accepted into a competition or exhibition
* My sons (now ages 11 and 13) are facing disappointment, and I can’t just ‘fix it’ for them any more
Luckily, from my years in high tech, I had many opportunities to experience both acceptance and rejection. I know how to roll with rejection. Sometimes I might need a few moments or hours or days to catch my breath and recover, but then I do, and life goes on and I can keep making progress. Thank goodness. Without that, life as an artist would be impossible!
Click here to see my television debut – an interview, painting demo, and discussion of my solo exhibition at the Triton Museum of Art. What do you think (really)?
Originally published in 2014, and published again just for fun 🙂
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.
Palm Winds 30″ x 40″ oil painting by Holly Van Hart (sold)
Welcome to the tropics!
As you view “Palm Winds”, can you feel the warm wind on your skin? This painting is meant to instill a feeling of peacefulness from the beauty of the trees, sea, and sky. The empty picnic tables are inviting you to sit down and have a meal. It is a hot day, and the wind is offsetting the tropical heat.
The inspiration for this painting draws on my travels to Tahiti, Thailand, Costa Rica and other places of tropical awesomeness. In addition, it was inspired by an amazing photo taken by my friend Veronique Gillard. (Thank you Veronique!)
Palm Winds Side view 30″ x 40″ oil painting by Holly Van Hart
In fact, I just delivered a custom painting to a new collector, and this is what she had to say –
“You perfectly transformed my dream into a stunningly beautiful painting. I am deeply grateful.”
Wow, I feel so honored. That made my day (my week!). Thank you Sue!!!
I love creating custom paintings. Good thing, because I’m currently working on 6 of them, ranging in size from 16 inches wide up to 80″ wide. That’s wider than you are tall!
Have you ever taken a hiatus from something you really love?u
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?
Just last month, I started cycling again, huffing and puffing, and slowly getting my groove back. It feels great!!
Over the years, I’ve taken week-long biking vacations in some beautiful places including the Canadian Rocky Mountains, the San Juan Islands in Washington, and the Norwegian fjords. The latter two have inspired abstract landscape paintings such as this one . . .
Magnetic Dreams, 48 x 60″ mixed media painting by HVH,
shown hanging in my home.
Magnetic Dreams (detail of the sky)
Magnetic Dreams (detail of the mountains and water)
To read the story behind the painting, click here –
Winter Sparkle 30 x 40″ mixed media painting by Holly Van Hart (sold)
Winter Sparkle 30 x 40″ mixed media painting by Holly Van Hart
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!
