Many of you have been curious about the painting process, and how paintings are created. Watch this video to learn my take on this topic.
This is the first of a series of videos I’ll publish on how a painting is created. Enjoy!
As you scroll down, you’ll see the progression of a newly released painting called ‘A Deep Breath’.
But first, I’d like to share this quote because captures my inspiration for this painting . . .
“In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect.” — Alice Walker
One cool way to make a perfect, imperfect painting is to rely on lots of drips. That’s what I’ll do here.
The drips can look like trunks, and branches, and, well, drips.
In the art world, when you can clearly see signs that something is a painting (and not a photo and not a photorealistic painting), we call this “painterly”.
This will be painterly.
Here’s a detail view.
The closer up you look, the more painterly it gets!
And (take a deep breath) here’s the finished painting . . .
A Deep Breath
48 x 48″ mixed media painting by Holly Van Hart
$6500
‘A Deep Breath’ is hanging in my entryway.
It could be hanging in yours!
Purchase info here
To purchase, email holly.vanhart@gmail.com
Funny thing happened the other night. A friend came to dinner and it was the height of the gladiolus season. He looked at my husband’s garden –
and then at this painting hanging on our living room wall –
He pointed to one, and then the other, and asked the question . . . which came first, the flowers or the painting?
Oddly enough, the flowers came from my imagination about 6 months before my husband grew his first gladiolus flowers. But his garden is spectacular and will inspire many more paintings to come!
‘Beckoning’ is currently hanging in our home. If you’d like to hang it in yours, please email me at holly.vanhart@gmail.com or call 650 646 5590.
To see all available paintings, click here.
High quality prints are available here (on canvas, paper, metal, framed, unframed, and so much more).
Treat yourself! 🙂
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!
To see the rest of my top 50 questions, click here.
Have a question for me? Click here.
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Do you love being in a forest and inhaling deeply? Forest air smells so pure, so fresh and so alive!
This sensory experience is what inspired my new painting ‘Woodscent’ (above). For purchase info, email holly.vanhart@gmail.com.
Thanks very much for stopping by! If you’d like to see more abstracted forest paintings, click here.
More info here –
Studio visit
Purchase details
Try Before You Buy program
Living a life of abundance means so many different things. For me, part of the satisfaction of an abundant life includes sharing with others.
I love it when friends, artists, gallery owners, curators and others share their secrets with me. Even after all these years here on earth, I have plenty to learn about life, love, art & everything!
And I’m happy to divulge my secrets in return. (I’m pretty much an open book, so there really aren’t many secrets. But I’m not a chatty person so you might have to ask me to draw them out.)
‘Divulging the Secrets’ is a celebration of sharing!
This painting is sold, but you can see available forest, flower, and landscape paintings here. (Also, you can check out the try-before-you-buy program, and purchase info.)
To see more flower paintings and read more about their inspirations, click here.
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”
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
Yes! I do custom paintings.
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!
If you’d like to learn more about custom paintings, click here (http://hollyvanhart.com/commission-painting/) . (They make great gifts, and come with a 100% money back guarantee.) Or email me at holly.vanhart@gmail.com.
Whether you’re interested in commissioned paintings or not, thank you for your interest in my work.
— Holly
P.S. If you want more info, check out more testimonials and pics of paintings installed in collectors homes.
P.P.S. My custom paintings were awarded Best of Houzz. Check out the details here.
Yellow Passage
20″ x 16″ oil painting by Holly Van Hart (sold)
“Yellow Passage” is meant to convey the majesty and mystery a large mountain range. The size and angular forms of the mountains indicate the majesty, and unusual red and yellow colors add intrigue.
This scene was inspired by my time in the Rocky Mountains a few years ago. I used a photograph as a very loose reference for the shapes of the mountains and the lake, and my imagination for the colors and texture.
This painting is sold and here’s how it looks in its new gorgeous home –
Yellow Passage, Oil painting by Holly Van Hart, installed
Thank you Susan and Steve for placing my artwork in your dining room. I’m honored! Love how you had it framed, and found just the right spot for it.
For more pics of paintings installed in collectors’ homes, click here.
Welcome to my world of Whispered Peace.
The aspen trees in this painting are surrounded by whisper-soft hues of gold, red, green and blue. All co-existing peacefully on three large canvases 🙂
For purchase info, email holly.vanhart@gmail.com.
More info here –
Studio visit
Purchase details
Try Before You Buy program
If you’d like to see more abstracted forest paintings, click here.
Building the Future
24″ x 18″ oil painting by Holly Van Hart (sold)
See available paintings here
‘Building the Future’ is about the choices we make for ourselves, and the excitement of preparing for a big life-change.
If the hands in this painting look at all familiar, it may be because they were inspired by Rodin’s sculpture ‘The Three Muses”. To see some of my earlier work inspired by Rodin, click here.
This is the first of a few paintings in my Possibilities series that were inspired by Rodin. Living in Silicon Valley, we’re close to Stanford University and its amazing Rodin Sculpture Garden. I love any excuse to get back there! Stay tuned for more . . .
(If you’re curious about the Possibilities series, you can read more here, “What’s up with all the eggs and nests?“)
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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 🙂
Building the Future
24″ x 18″ oil painting by Holly Van Hart
Purchase Info
Yes! Oil paintings are very easy to care for. Here are my top tips for painting care . . .
– Hang your new painting on your wall as soon as you can (to get it out of harm’s way).
– Hang your painting out of direct sunlight.
– Dust it every once in a while.
– Enjoy!
Oil paintings are very durable too. They can last hundreds of years, maybe longer. This means they can be enjoyed for your lifetime, and then passed on and treasured for many generations to come.
For details on oil painting care from a preservation professional, click here.
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.
Click here for more available paintings (forests, flowers, and landscapes).
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‘Soft Start’ was inspired by the nests of a bird called a swallow. Swallows live on all the earth’s continents except Antarctica. They use the feathers of other birds to line their nests and keep their eggs toasty warm.
Eggs that are incubated in such a cozy nest are surely full of possibilities, but with a softer start than most.
btw, 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 and catalog from the Triton museum exhibition (and get a free download of Triton museum catalog).
“Van Hart’s paintings . . . present their enigmatic subjects with both beauty and conviction, memorably.” – DeWitt Cheng, Art writer for Art Ltd, Artillery, ARTnews, and Visual Art Source
Palm Winds (detail)
Oil painting by Holly Van Hart
See full painting here
In “Top Fifty Questions”, I’ll answer the top questions I’m asked as an artist. (These are usually asked at cocktail parties and other fun social events.)
Can I mix styles of art in my home? Yes!
Combining a mix of art styles in your home shows off your unique tastes, life experiences, and creativity. It personalizes your home, makes it even more interesting, and opens up whole new conversations.
That’s my humble opinion 🙂 To look at some ideas from professional interior designers, click here.
Click here to see the rest of the Top 50 Questions
What’s the favorite part of your job? Whether you’re a banker, lawyer, stay-at-home parent, or an artist, we all have something we love most about our jobs.
The favorite part of my job is . . . you!
For realz. The absolute best part of being an artist is that it gives me an excuse to get to know you better.
So, today I’m featuring a collector of my art and friend, Tamami Honma –
Tamami Honma
Internationally acclaimed pianist
Friend and a collector of my art
Here are some of the many things that are totally cool about Tamami –
I’m honored that 4 of my paintings hang in Tamami’s home. The latest is Rose Jamboree –
Rose Jamboree
Oil painting by Holly Van Hart
See latest nature paintings
Watch a video of this painting being made here.
(Link to all videos on Holly’s YouTube video channel)
It’s a privilege to know you Tamami!!!
Possibilities on High
24″ x 30″ oil on canvas
Commission a custom nature painting
Yes, that does happen sometimes, unfortunately.
Usually I’m brimming with ideas for paintings, and almost always have a few ideas that are competing for attention on any given day.
But on some days I’m just not feeling it. When that happens, I follow the advice of Chuck Close, an amazing and famous artist, who says “Inspiration is for amateurs. The rest of us just show up and get to work. . . . All the best ideas come out of the process; they come out of the work itself.”
That’s my experience too. Once I pick up a pencil or paintbrush, ideas will often reveal themselves. Then I’m inspired all over again!
Click here to see the rest of the Top 50 Questions
Have a question to add to the top 50? Please send an email to holly.vanhart@gmail.com.
Yes, absolutely! Being a full-time artist feels like what I was meant to do.
In 2013, I made the decision to leave a 20-year career in high tech to become a professional artist. (While in high tech, I painted with passion, exhibited my work, and sold it. But painting was a hobby then.)
Being in high tech was challenging, interesting, and rewarding. High tech gave me the opportunity to work with so many fascinating people, and I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything.
But I definitely made the right decision! High tech was fun, but a career in the arts is even “funner”.
Click here to see the rest of the Top 50 Questions I’m asked as an artist (usually at cocktail parties or other fun events).
Walk on the Wild Side
30 x 40″ oil painting by Holly Van Hart
$3800
Interested? Please email holly.vanhart@gmail.com, or call 650 646 5590.
Thanks for being here 🙂
You know that sense of grandeur we get when surrounded by a beautiful forest? That’s what I was aiming to capture with this painting, Woodland Symphony.
When giving this painting its name, the word ‘symphony’ came to mind. In a great symphony, all the musical notes work together in intriguingly complex and beautiful ways. In a painting, the color notes have to work together in similarly intriguing ways.
btw, if you’re curious, here are some in-progress pics of Woodland Symphony –
The beginnings of Woodland Symphony
Working on Woodland Symphony (almost as tall as I am)
Sometimes it’s better to work on a painting sideways
Woodland Symphony (left), Wandering in Wonder (center) and The Grand Escape (right), mixed media paintings by HVH. These paintings are currently hanging in my living room, but they could be hanging in yours 🙂
Thanks for stopping by. If you’d like to see more abstracted forest paintings, click here.
For purchase info, email holly.vanhart@gmail.com.
Come along for a walk into my dream world . . .
In Our Own Dream World is currently available. Free delivery in the continental US.
Would you like to see more? Please email holly.vanhart@gmail.com.
More info here –
Studio visit
Purchase details
Try Before You Buy program
New! Arts Recognition Award from the National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution in the Los Altos Town Crier.
“The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution recently gave Holly Van Hart the Women in the Arts Recognition Award.” Read full article here.
Feeling so honored!!
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?
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What’s beyond the branches that we see here? ‘Beyond the Visible’ (above) nudges us to reflect on the mysteries of the unknown.
The painting is currently hanging in my home, but it could be hanging in yours!
For purchase info, click here. Questions? Email me at holly.vanhart@gmail.com
For more videos, click here – http://hollyvanhart.com/YouTube-Videos
A blast from the past! As published in 2017 –
Just found out I was awarded Best of Houzz award for my abstract nature paintings. This is the second year in a row. Wow, feeling so honored!
Huge thanks to my supporters and collectors and reviewers on Houzz. You are the best!
If you’re not already familiar with Houzz, it is the leading platform for home design and remodeling. It is chock full of awesome images that people use to find design ideas for their homes.
To see what my paintings look like in collectors’ homes, look at the pics below (or to the right, depending on your screen). Here’s one example –
You’re Invited
Oil and acrylic painting
Hung in collector’s entryway
These awards were based in part on the many 5-star reviews received on Houzz and other testimonials from collectors.
Thank you to all the reviewers. You made my day (my year!)
Just released . . . Free Art Book!
[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”10302″ alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”http://hollyvanhart.com/free-painting-inspirations-book/”][vc_empty_space height=”16px” css=”.vc_custom_1483468001264{background-color: #ffffff !important;}”][vc_column_text width=”450px”]See Holly Van Hart’s top 25 paintings, paired with favorite inspirational quotes. Free Book full of exciting images and ideas![/vc_column_text][vcex_button url=”http://hollyvanhart.com/free-painting-inspirations-book/” align=”center” size=”medium” color=”red” custom_color=”#ffffff” custom_hover_color=”#cccccc” css_wrap=”.vc_custom_1483486607972{background-color: #ffffff !important;}”]FREE DOWNLOAD[/vcex_button][vc_empty_space height=”16px” css=”.vc_custom_1483468001264{background-color: #ffffff !important;}”]
In “Top Fifty Questions”, I’ll answer the top questions I’m asked as an artist. (These questions are usually asked at cocktail parties and other fun social events.)
I’ve been painting my whole life, with one hiatus while in college.
As a girl I made many types of art . . . I painted, made ceramics and did crocheting and calligraphy. My Mom was an artist; she gave us lessons and let us use her top-quality art supplies. (Thanks Mom!)
In college, studying engineering was all consuming and my art was put on hold.
After graduating, I worked in high tech and pursued painting passionately as a hobby – taking dozens classes, reading thousands of books and articles, forming an art critique group, and painting every spare minute.
Now, as a professional artist, I paint every day, all day (every weekday + some weekends). And every day I learn something new.
My art education will never be done. That’s a huge part of the fun 🙂
btw, the above painting is Amid the Scent of Roses. Interested in seeing how it was made? Here’s a short video for you . . .
