Light, spirit, color, joy
"Early on, I discovered Winslow Homer and Edward Hopper and fell in love with their vivid use of light in painting. Later I found Rockwell Kent with his spiritual connection to the landscape. I became mesmerized by the dazzling brushwork of Cecilia Beaux, marveling at her handling of oil paint. Helen Frankenthaler and Wolf Kahn stirred in me a love of intense color as a means of expressing feeling. Lively but also relaxed and peaceful. The works of Alex Katz and David Hockney reminded me to have fun with the process, to be optimistic, to share the joy."
HARVARD SQUARE (detail)
HARVARD SQUARE 36" x 60" oil on wood
Developing the craft
Holden is constantly experimenting in the studio. "Exploring new techniques and new subjects is what keeps interest for me."
...Adept at combining intuition with technique, her work is solid but also lively. "Every painting involves some struggle, a point where I feel I'm totally lost. Sometimes the way out is to rely on my training, to be more precise. Other times the answer lies in taking a risk, expressing emotion."
BIG SKY WATCHING OVER US (detail)
Beauty can be found in even the most ordinary of places
"It's not about recreating the scene; the purpose of painting is to express my reaction to the scene. ...Capturing the feeling that what I'm seeing before me is great.
"Painting is a spiritual journey. It's when I feel most connected. When I am fully present, beauty can be found in even the most ordinary of places."
MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE 36" x 60" oil on canvas