How did I make this painting? Watch a video here –
This painting is sold.
To see available flower paintings, click here https://hollyvanhart.com/available-originals
Like a cat, I love feeling the warmth of the sun on my skin. Do you?
Come step into this sun-soaked forest . . .
This painting is hanging in my home, but it could be hanging in yours 🙂
Would you like to see this painting in person? Email me for a studio visit.
To purchase, email holly.vanhart@gmail.com. Free shipping in the continental US.
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.
This painting is sold, but you can buy a print here.
Originally published in 2013 and recently updated to include information on prints
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
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!
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.
Today I’d like to share a quote that captures the spirit of a new botanical painting.
“Enthusiasm is the electricity of life.” –Gordon Parks
What are you enthusiastic about today?
When making this painting, I was enthusiastic about the field of dancing flowers I originally saw in Canada.
The colors, shapes, and smells were riveting, and I made a little oil painting on the spot.
Then back in my studio, over a period of years, I continued to revisit this theme in a variety of sizes and media, each time stretching myself in some new way.
This painting is now hanging in our bedroom at home –
Another reason for me to be enthusiastic today is a new relationship with a beautiful art gallery outside of Denver, Colorado – Mirada Fine Art Gallery. So excited!!
Thanks for being here. Shine on, my beautiful and enthusiastic friend!
To see more available paintings, click here.
To see more paintings hanging in the homes of collectors, click here.
‘Two Left Hands’ by Holly Van Hart (sold)
‘Two Left Hands’, from my Rodin series, was just purchased by my new friend Elisa. Elisa saw this painting and decided to buy it immediately; she has a totally cool story behind the decision.
When Elisa was growing up, her Mom took her many many times to the Rodin Sculpture Garden at Stanford University. If you haven’t been there yet, it is an amazing place to visit, day or evening or night.
Her Mom loved (and still loves) to look at the hands of the sculptures. Rodin created his sculptures with extra large hands, and they reminded her of her father’s hands, which were also extra-large. He was a professional hall-of-fame football player.
Elisa saw an image of this painting on my phone, and I mentioned the title was ‘Two Left Hands’. On the spot, she bought it as a gift for her Mom. (Oh, did I mention that her Mom is left handed?)
So many coincidences! Thank you, Elisa, for sharing your totally cool story with us.
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.vanhart@gmail.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?
Do you believe in fate? Or in creating your own future? Or a bit of both?
“Actions are the seeds of fate. Deeds grow into destiny.” – Harry Truman. Seems he was ‘a bit of both’ kind of guy.
This new painting was inspired by the idea of creating our own destiny . . .
To see all available paintings, click here.
You are welcome to come for a studio visit, or to try-before-you-buy.
Do you love aspen trees as much as I do?
These days, I’m happily immersed in autumnal aspen forests. There’s something about these trees that seems to be universally appealing. For one thing, they are so gorgeous.
Aspens and birches look very similar to each other. If you’re curious what the differences are, here are the highlights –
How about you . . . what are your favorite trees?
Here’s the completed painting, shown from two different angles –
This painting is hanging in my living room, but it could hanging be in yours 🙂
Would you like to see this painting in person?
To purchase, email holly.vanhart@gmail.com. Free shipping in the US for VIP members.
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
Click for more videos – https://hollyvanhart.com/YouTube-Videos
With this new tree painting, Mirror World, I wanted a feeling of mystery.
The trees in the distance have curiously different colors from the nearer trees. What’s going on there? Let’s take a stroll down this path and see for ourselves!
With every painting, I have an objective for the mood and look of the painting, and a separate artistic objective.
The artistic objective is typically a challenge to myself using new colors or style or different size brushes or canvas.
Here, I challenged myself to paint more loosely, using bigger brushes and with less defined edges. Can you see the difference compared to my other tree paintings? Please drop me a line at holly.vanhart@gmail.com.
Would you like to see all available paintings? Click here to request a digital catalog.
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.
‘Possibilities in Full Bloom’ is meant to convey the idea that life is chock full with possibilities. The eggs in the nest are radiating warmth, and the magnolia tree is loaded with lush flowers. Life abounds!
This painting was fun to create for many reasons. One of my favorite parts was leaving the underlying red color and texture showing through in many places. (Can you see this? Click on the image to see a larger version.) To me, this gives the work a fresh feel.
In case you’re wondering . . . click here to read “What’s up with all the nests?”
Sometimes we have to make choices in life . . . it’s this OR that. Here OR there. Tomorrow OR next week.
And sometimes we can do both! This AND that. Here AND there. Tomorrow AND next week. That’s called ‘Embracing It All’ –
Embracing It All is currently hanging in my living room. But it could be hanging in yours! Email holly.vanhart@gmail.com for details
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.vanhart@gmail.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.vanhart@gmail.com. Free shipping in the US.
‘Autumn Dance’ ‘Summer Sparkle’ and ‘Amid the Scent of Roses’
Currently hanging my my home, but could be hanging in yours 🙂
Want to see more pics of installed paintings? Click here.
Serenity
20 x 20″ oil painting by Holly Van Hart (sold)
Buy a print
View video of this painting being created
Every painting tells a story. When we look at a painting, we absorb and interpret the story in our own unique way.
My abstract nature paintings are about the beauty and peace of nature.
This painting, ‘Serenity’, shows 3 robin’s eggs, resting serenely in their nest. The strong reds in the nest, branches, leaves, and buds represent the fullness of life outside the nest. The lives of the 3 siblings in this nest are full of possibilities. When the eggs hatch into birds, they will experience all that life has to offer outside the nest.
That’s my story for ‘Serenity’. What’s yours? (Email me at holly.vanhart@gmail.com)
To see a video of this painting being created, click here.
For more “What inspired this painting” articles, click here.
Originally published in 2013, and just updated
My paintings are inspired by life’s limitless possibilities. In Boundless Promise, you’re invited to take a walk down this path with me. Here, we will soak up all the opportunities around us. They are everywhere!
This painting is sold, but you can check out available paintings here. To purchase, email holly.vanhart@gmail.com
Want to see how Boundless Promise was made? Check out these pics and video –
A new forest. My idea for this one is a gorgeous spring day. The type of day that puts you in an instant good mood!
My paintings usually show abundance, in this case lots of trees and (soon) lots of leaves.
It’s a way to remind myself (and hopefully all viewers) that life is abundant and full of possibilities!
This bright green instantly brings me to a spring day. Does it do that for you?
Close up view. You can see how roughly it is painted at this stage.
Have you ever noticed how much yellow there is in springtime greenery? Trying to get that gorgeous yellow-green in these leaves.
Adding darker leaves, and adding shadows to the tree trunks
Finished! Boundless Promise, 36 x 48 inch mixed media painting by HVH.
Purchase info is here. To purchase, email holly.vanhart@gmail.com
For more paintings and inspirations, please check out my new book, Nature’s Inspirations. Click here for Download here (free!).
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
This new commissioned painting was just delivered and installed in a gorgeous new home in Lake Tahoe, CA.
Thank you Karen & Greg!
“I love it” they both said. Music to my ears 🙂
Here’s wishing that our biggest, boldest, most colorful dreams come true!
Let’s stay in touch! Learn more
‘Opportunity’ is the latest member of the Possibilities series. When you look at this nest and eggs, can you see the limitless potential of the human spirit? I hope so. (Read more here, “What’s up with all the nests?“)
The colors of this painting are American colors and, to many of us, America (the US) is the land of opportunity. Personally I believe America is an amazing place where, with lots of passion and hard work, one’s possibilities are virtually unlimited.
‘Opportunity’ represents the sense of wonder, potential, and pride many of us feel for our country. Nothing is ever perfect, however; the underlying textures in this painting are meant to remind us of things unseen. We might live in the US and have many of its advantages, but success is not assured.
‘Opportunity’ was created in phases over many months. I started with a black and white reference photo of a real bird’s nest, and from there let my imagination and paintbrush wander (and wander and wander). Success was not assured.
Some paintings converge quickly and others take more time and iterations. The more a painting deviates from the reference photos, the longer it takes me to complete it. Imagination takes time, especially if the end result is supposed to look like something real but not really.
Opportunity was one of the 18 paintings in my solo show at the Triton Museum of Art. For a walking tour video & pics of the exhibition, click here.
Your Highest Potential
30 x 40″ oil painting by Holly Van Hart
$3,200
To purchase, contact Pam Regan at Bluestone Fine Art Gallery
or email holly.vanhart@gmail.com
Joy, delight, happiness, gladness, glee, exhilaration, exuberance, elation, euphoria, bliss, ecstasy, rapture.
We want it all!
How do you like to create joy in your life?
If your world is anything like mine, sometimes the days are so busy that it takes conscious thought to make time for life’s most delightful moments.
For me, in any one week I’m abundantly happy when I’ve enjoyed all of these experiences –
What makes you happy?
If you have any tips for creating more bliss in life, please drop me a line at holly.vanhart@gmail.com, I’m all ears.
Top questions I’m asked as an artist –
How do you know when a painting is done?
How much time does it take to complete a painting?
Each of us has so many dreams. If we search in all the corners of our minds, we’ll find dreams for our relationships, careers, homes, travels, and much much more.
The flowers in this painting represent our dreams, shown in their full color and glory. By remembering to give thought and attention to our most important dreams, we can live fuller and more abundant lives.
Here’s wishing that our biggest, boldest dreams come true!
Here are some details pics –
And here’s the completed painting –
This painting is sold. To see available paintings, click here.
Let’s stay in touch! Learn more
