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
My work can be seen in ongoing exhibitions at these fine art galleries – The Studio Shop, Mirada Fine Art, and JCO’s Art Haus.
These paintings (and more) can be viewed at the galleries –
Hello art lovers!
You’re invited! Please join me at my home gallery and studio in Tiburon, California for an ongoing art exhibition.
Dates: By appointment Email holly.vanhart@gmail.com and let’s make a date.
Location: Tiburon, California (near San Francisco)
More than twenty new abstract nature paintings are on display and for purchase – forests, fields, flowers, nests, landscapes and more.
Plus you’ll see some brand new experimental work that is only available in my studio.
The Open Studio event includes a tour of my home gallery as well as my home studio.
Seeing art in person is the absolute best way to experience it. Please take this opportunity to visit!
Make an appointment and add it to your calendar today. See you soon!
For news on upcoming open studio and gallery events, sign up for my mailing list. (One email every 2-3 weeks.)
Get Holly Van Hart’s
Top 25 Paintings and favorite inspirational quotes.
Free Instant Download. Enter your email here –
[/vc_column_text][vcex_form_shortcode style=”modern” full_width=”true” width=”300px”][/vcex_form_shortcode][vc_column_text] [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][/vc_row]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;}”]Video #2 . . . watch this video to hear my take on how an artist comes up with an idea for a series of artwork. Enjoy!
Video #1 – How a painting is created
Video #2 – An idea for a series
Other videos coming soon –
Ideas for works within a series
Painting demo
What is the viewer’s response?
Palm Winds
Detail of oil painting by Holly Van Hart (sold)
See full painting here
In “Top Fifty Questions”, I’ll answer the top 50 questions I’m asked as an artist.
The absolute best thing about being an artist is that it opens up a whole world of connections and friendships. It also strengthens the friendships I already have. I love that.
In terms of my work, I love creating a painting that is a personal breakthrough, or that others really like. (The overlap is not always 100%.) It’s hugely inspiring when a painting wins an award, or is accepted into an exhibit, or is purchased by a collector. These things make me thrilled to be in the studio and painting every day.
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 . . .
Nest at Night
36″ x 18″ oil painting by Holly Van Hart
Sold
Commission a nest painting
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.
(In case you’re wondering, click here to read “What’s up with all the nests?“)
Many of the paintings on this site have been sold.
Request a digital catalog of available paintings
[click here]
My article “Conveying our Deepest Emotions” was just published in Outdoor Painter magazine 
“A great painting conveys an artist’s deepest emotions. When we encounter a masterpiece, it stirs up something primal that causes us to stop, stare, pause, . . . . ” [click for full article]
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?
Here are some in-progress pics for this painting –
Here’s the finished painting –
And here’s how it would look against a blue wall –
Want to see all available paintings? Click here to request a digital catalog.
If you’re in the Denver area, please come see my latest paintings at Mirada Fine Art gallery.
I’m proud to be working with this prestigious gallery. It has been selected for many awards, including American Art Awards “Top 25 US Galleries”.
Vibrations in Time (on wall, right)
Mixed media painting by Holly Van Hart
At Mirada Fine Art
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.
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?
(If you’re wondering “What’s up with all the nests?”, click here.)
Originally published in 2013, and just updated and republished
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.
Thanks for your interest!
Click here to see the rest of the Top 50 Questions
Have a question to add to the top 50? Ask away (in the comments section below or send an email to holly.vanhart@gmail.com).
Possibilities in Full Color is about the lives within these 3 eggs, still to be lived. They are meant to be ‘full color’ lives, filled with joy and delight and exciting challenges.
This painting is also about the homes (nests) of the baby birds and their parents. Do you see the reds, oranges, greens, blues, and yellows? This ‘full color’ nest represents the unique and wonderful personalities of all the individuals that live within it, as well as the wonderful variety of homes that birds build for themselves.
What do you see in “Possibilities in Full Color”? It’s always fascinating to learn how paintings are interpreted. I’d love to hear your thoughts and comments (holly.vanhart@gmail.com).
Have you ever strolled through a forest and felt strong sunlight beaming through the trees? That’s what I was aiming for with this new painting, Washed in Light. It is set in springtime, with lots of bright yellow-green leaves. Come take a walk with me down the winding path!
Here are some in-progress pics for this painting –
Drumroll please. Here’s the finished painting –
And here’s how it would look hanging in a living room –
Washed in Light
Mixed media painting by Holly Van Hart
(Installed)
To purchase, please email holly.vanhart@gmail.com.
Want to be the 1st to see pre-release paintings? Click here to become a VIP member.
“If not me, who? If not now, when?” These are the words that Dr. Leslie Field asked herself about tackling the huge problem of global warming.
Dr. Field is a prolific inventor, the Founder of SmallTech Consulting, a Consulting Prof at Stanford University, a mom of two, an art-lover, and the founder of Ice911.
Ice911 is a boots on the ground solution to reduce global warming.
In this Facebook Live interview with Dr. Field, we learn more about what inspired her to start Ice911, and the steps she is taking now to slow down global warming.
Click below to listen and to get inspired!
This book includes essays by DeWitt Cheng and Preston Metcalf –
“Van Hart’s naturalistic yet symbolic paintings present their enigmatic subjects with both beauty and conviction, memorably”
– DeWitt Cheng, Art writer for Art Ltd, Artillery, ARTnews, and Visual Art Source
“powerful in its message of human connectivity”
– Preston Metcalf, Chief Curator of the Triton Museum of Art
Click for FREE Instant Download
(This book is also available on Amazon for $27)
If you like this book, please share it with your friends!
Hi there! Thanks for being here to check out my new work. Here’s the latest!
This painting has gotten great feedback & has been featured on the cover of Denver Life magazine.
Every Restless Night, 48×48″ painting by Holly Van Hart
Featured on the cover of Denver Life Magazine
Questions? Interested? Please contact Steve Sonnen of Mirada Fine Art gallelry, (303) 697-9006, info@miradafineart.com or holly.vanhart@gmail.com
In “Top Fifty Questions”, I answer the top questions I’m asked as an artist. (These are usually asked at cocktail parties and other fun social events.)
Will this painting look good in my home? Great question. Here’s my take . . . if you fall in love with a painting, you can almost always find the right spot to hang it in your home. You may have to move another painting or a mirror or a print. But if you love the new painting, it’s worth the effort.
If you’re interested in one of the paintings here on my website, but are not sure if it will work in your living room, dining room, etc, please email me at holly.vanhart@gmail.com. If you live locally, I can take the painting (or a few paintings) to your home and we can try them out. If one works, great. If not, no worries.
To see related advice and ideas from interior design professionals, click here.
I am inspired by life’s limitless possibilities, and my abstract nature paintings are meant to spark new excitement about reaching our biggest, boldest dreams.
This latest painting ‘Forest Reverie’ represents the beginning of a new year or a new season. Colorful opportunities sparkle all around us, and beckon us to reach them. Will we pick the closest, easiest one, or will we stretch further to find our passion?
Let’s stay in touch! Learn more
This blog post is the latest addition to my ‘Top 50 Questions’ list. See/read more here.
In “Top Fifty Questions”, I answer the top 50 questions I’m asked as an artist (usually at cocktail parties and other fun social events).
I’ve gone crazy for nests. Well, really I’ve gone crazy for eggs and nests and what they represent.
All my paintings with nests are meant to express the boundless possibilities and opportunities we have in our lives, and are part of my “Possibilities” series. Larger-than-life eggs and nests symbolize the promise of our own capabilities, to be nurtured and explored and stretched to their fullest potential.
My intentions are given away by the titles of some of the paintings – Possibilities in Full Color, Unlimited Possibilities, and Possibilities Abound (winner of the California Statewide Painting Competition).
Click here to see the rest of the Top 50 Questions
Follow Holly’s latest art news, exhibits, and special offers (and get a free eBook). Learn more here.
Meet Diane F
Adventurer, Mom, Retired Sales Executive
A collector of my art, and now a friend
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!
Really. The absolute best part of being an artist is that it gives me an excuse to get to know you better. I feel honored to know you, and to keep in touch with you.
(Plus, as you may have guessed, I love playing around with gorgeous, buttery oil paints all day long.)
So, today I’m featuring Diane F, a fascinating and accomplished woman, a collector of my art, and now a friend.
Here are some of the many things that are totally cool about Diane –
Diane recently remodeled her home, and commissioned me to make a painting for her spacious living room. In honor of Diane’s cool accomplishments, the painting is named ‘Dreams within Reach’.
Video – The making of Diane F’s custom painting
(Link to all videos on Holly’s YouTube video channel)
It’s a privilege to know you Diane!!!
Love seeing new art?
“Like” us here!
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.)
Yes! Thanks for asking 🙂
My paintings are in a bunch of galleries, listed here.
You can also see my work at my Open Studio and other upcoming events; click here for details.
Most of us may not feel like geniuses, but everyone has a special quality or skill that is unique to this world. That is the ‘genius in all of us’.
This new floral painting “The Genius in All of Us” features large abstract tulips in red, purple, blue, yellow, and orange. The tulips represent and celebrate the diversity of our individual strengths.
What are your strengths?
My strength is painting. I suppose another strength is being a jack-of-all-trades generalist that includes some of the business skills needed to be a full-time artist and entrepreneur. (Still working on those others!!)
btw, the Genius in All of Us was purchased as a surprise birthday gift for my new friend Heike by her husband.
The Genius in All of Us
Hanging in their beautiful home in Silicon Valley, California
Heike is thrilled with her new painting, so I’m thrilled too 🙂
Interested in seeing other available floral and tree paintings? Or learning about commissions (custom paintings)?
Or learn more on these pages – About, Press (Huffington Post, Professional Artist, ABC News, and more), Testimonials.
