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Abstract landscape – Sense of Marvel
New!
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Sense of Marvel
36 x 48″ mixed media painting by Holly Van Hart
$4800
Story behind the painting
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.
3 abstract nature paintings
‘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.
The feeling of being home (and well taken care of)
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
New commissioned painting delivered
This new commissioned painting was just delivered and installed in a gorgeous new home in Lake Tahoe, CA.
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Commissioned painting for new home in Lake Tahoe, CA
48 x 60″ mixed media painting by Holly Van Hart
Thank you Karen & Greg!
“I love it” they both said. Music to my ears 🙂
The land of opportunity
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Opportunity
30 x 40 oil painting by Holly Van Hart
‘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.
A feeling of quiet and serenity
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”
Circling of the Seasons
Hi there! Here’s one of my latest forest paintings (and the first one completed in a square format) . . .
Circling of the Seasons
48 x 48″ mixed media painting by Holly Van Hart (sold)
For available forest paintings, click here
Want to see how this painting was made? Here are some pics . . .
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- So excited to start a new painting! The colors changed a lot as the painting progressed.
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- Blue trunks?!
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- Trying out a huge brush for the leaves
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- Love these colors, but decided they were screaming too loud and needed to be muted.
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- In this step, I muted the colors quite a bit.
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- Finishing touches!
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Circling of the Seasons
48 x 48″ mixed media painting by Holly Van Hart (sold)
To see available paintings, click here
And, in video . . .
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Circling of the Seasons hanging in my living room.
48 x 48″ mixed media painting by Holly Van Hart (sold)
For available forest paintings, click here
For more info, check these out –
* Try before you buy program
* Come for a studio visit
* Info on purchasing
To purchase, email holly.vanhart@gmail.com.
Want to see more in-progress paintings? Check out these videos http://hollyvanhart.com/youtube-videos
Thanks for being here!
‘Into the Light’
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Into the Light
24 x 30 oil painting by Holly Van Hart
I wanted this painting to capture our attention with its warm autumn colors, and to tempt us to walk toward the light at the end of the path.
What’s down that path? There’s only one way to know. Come with me, let’s go for a stroll!
btw, on a topic related to color . . . are you moving into a new home, remodeling, or just freshening up a room? Are you wondering how to use color successfully in your home or office? If so, you can get a Free Color Guide by clicking here – ‘The Top 7 Designer Secrets for Adding Color to Your Space‘.
Let’s stay in touch! Learn more
😍 What fascinates you? 😍
Hello, my fearless friend.
What things in life fascinate you? What do you really love?
“Let yourself be silently drawn by the strong pull of what you truly love.” — Rumi
My top loves include family & friends, spending time in nature, and exploring faraway places. And, of course, painting 🙂
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High school starts this week for our sons, so we did some family outings to San Francisco and Santa Cruz. This is us as we walked over the Golden Gate bridge, through a thick fog bank. I really love spending time with these 3 men! (That’s Erik on the left, and Ike on the right. Skyler snapped the photo.) |
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| Other landscape paintings are still available. Would you like to see them? Click here – |
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| OK, my most amazing friend . . . three cheers to you for following your fascinations! |
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| P.S. Into forests or flowers instead? |
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| btw, if this email was forwarded to you, and you’d like to get on my VIP list to receive future emails (one every 3 weeks), click here. |
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Do you like to dream big?
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How Dreams Are Made
36 x 48 oil painting by Holly Van Hart
Do you like to dream big?
I do! As a die-hard optimist, my art (and life) are inspired by the idea of limitless possibilities.
In ‘How Dreams Are Made’, the flowers represent the colorful opportunities in our lives . . . exciting and bountiful opportunities swirling all around us.
The visual inspiration came during a walk in Saratoga on a windy day. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught some gorgeous yellow flowers getting tossed around by the wind. A quick snap of the camera gave me a photo reference to work with.
Back in the studio, I quickly got to work. I wanted the painting to have a breezy look and lots of movement, like Field of Dreams.
This painting was fun, but it did not come easy! There were many points when I wondered whether it would succeed.
For some strange reason, a lot of my best work comes after those sinking moments of doubt. I think the uncertainty frees me up to make bold decisions.
Speaking of which . . . bold decisions are exactly what we need to chase big dreams. Let’s go for it!!
btw, you might also be interested in this article How do you know when a painting is done? One of the hardest decisions in making a painting is knowing when to stop!
If I were an egg
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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?
(If you’re wondering “What’s up with all the nests?”, click here.)
Originally published in 2013, and just updated and republished
Ready for a cruise?
Autumn Cruise
30″ x 40″ oil painting on canvas by Holly Van Hart (sold)
‘Autumn Cruise’ is about the majesty of the mountains and the allure of the alpine lakes. This painting includes two cruise boats ready to take us on a tour of the lake, up closer to the mountains.
The unusual textures in ‘Autumn Cruise’ (for example, in the sky in the upper right, and skirting the mountains in the upper left) are there to remind us of nature’s unseen forces – potential rainstorms, winds, avalanches, floods, and hungry bears. Nature is beautiful and alluring, and also commands the utmost of respect.
Ready to cruise up the lake? Sure, it’s a crisp, clear autumn day and looks like a safe bet. (If there were dark clouds overhead, then it would be a different story.
btw, if you’d be interested in some art freebies (free art books and more), click here.
Nest at Night
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?“)
Have you ever left a safe harbor?
Voyage to the Possible
30 x 40 inches
Oil, acrylic, and silica sand on canvas
Sold
Commission a painting similar to this
Have you ever left a safe harbor & sailed away without knowing what’s on the other side?
How did that feel? ‘Voyage to the Possible’ is meant to capture the sense of wonder and excitement (and fear) associated with the launch.
The ‘voyage’ moments that stand out the most in my life are –
* having children (I really had no idea what was in store),
* starting my art career (lots of lessons learned in that leap),
* some of my new jobs while in high tech, and
* heading out on a 6 month-around the world trip (without hotel or other reservations, we simply showed up in 15+ South Pacific and Asian countries, backpacks on our backs, and winged it).
I’m curious . . . what were the top ‘voyage’ moments in your life? Would love to hear back from you on this (email me at holly.vanhart@gmail.com)
Purchase
Commission a custom painting similar to this
Give a Gift Certificate
Free! e-Catalog of Holly Van Hart’s art
‘Possibilities Unfurling’
Possibilities Unfurling
30 x 40 inches
Oil, acrylic, silica sand, and silicon wafers on canvas
$3,200
Purchase Info
Ever feel in the mood for something new & different? That’s how I felt while painting ‘Possibilities Unfurling’, first in a new series of abstract ribbon-esque paintings.
These ribbon-esques represent colorful nests that are woven together with ribbons and circles. These paintings highlight the promise of our own creativity and capabilities, to be nurtured and explored and stretched to their fullest potential.
Look closely and you’ll find areas of heavily textured paint. These textures are created with silicon wafers and silica sand, and represent creativity – creativity in its most universal sense, and also the technology innovation specific to Silicon Valley in northern California. (Silicon wafers are fabricated from silica sand, and are used to make computer chips.)
Silicon Valley, like the world itself, is alive with possibilities. And that will be the name of this new ribbon-esque series of paintings, ‘Alive with Possibilities’. See more here.
Request a catalog of available paintings: contact@hollyvanhart.com
Fire and Ice
Welcome! Here’s a new small painting fresh from the studio.
‘Fire and Ice’ is one painting that happens to be on two canvases (which is called a diptych, pronounced dip-tic).
Fire and Ice 1
Fire and Ice 2
6 x 8″ mixed media painting by Holly Van Hart
Two canvases, each 6 x 4″, $325 for both
To purchase, email holly.vanhart@gmail.com or call 650 646 5590. Credit cards, checks, and PayPal accepted. The paintings arrive ready to hang. For VIP members, shipping is free in the continental U.S.