Holly Rhea
FINE ART

A Statement from the Artist

My paintings are inspired by emotion and are informed by my own experience as a woman. The depiction of dance is a vehicle through which I portray emotion, feminine energy and a sense of drama. Experiencing a performance of dance, whether as the performer or an audience member, is soul-nourishing and I seek to achieve a similar feeling via painting. Essentially, my work is a celebration of feminine expression and emotional freedom, representing the human form in graceful motion. Through my work, I seek to capture the essence of feminine nature.

 I explore the possibilities of expression by way of the depiction of dance and even work with dancers and yoga practitioners of various backgrounds for reference. The figures in my paintings partially emerge from and recede into the background, giving them a residual, spirit-like appearance. The figure painting style is loose, with implied lines and suggested figure dimensions, as well as an undulating stylization.

My process begins with a meditative, non-objective painting of the ground, which then informs the composition and mood of the figure or figures. The technique used for the ground is achieved by layering various densities of paint and washes of color. I then develop the composition of the forms in response, in various orientations and scale. Though it came first, I seek to utilize the ground to compliment the mood of the figure.

    I wish to explore and express through my work, the essence of my own femininity, as well as that of other women. I seek to develop a context of emotional expression through color and fluid movement, where figures exist in an extrasensory world. My work appeals to our humanity through pleasure and aesthetics, and to our imagination with seductive drama.