Siberian Birch Forest #1 Painting

Artistic drivers: My artwork is abstract not only visually, but also in the thought process behind each piece. I take my inspiration from the shadows, depth, light, colour and line of the craggy Andalusian landscape, tranquil sea or tumultuous skies, deconstructing my impressions then scattering them on the paper to create an abstract representation. I see the landscape as component parts with blocks of colour, sun-kissed highlights, undulating lines and graduating tones. I offer glimpses of my vision inviting the viewer to join me, or to seek joy from the merging colour palette and unique shapes and patterns created by my thoughtful positioning and dragging of the paint Background: Born in Leeds (UK) in 1964, Hollemans attended Jacob Kramer Art College in the early 80's gaining a formal art education and solid grounding in multimedia techniques. Since early childhood she had created art and items in a variety of materials from screen printing to woodwork. Rather than specialize in one area, Hollemans decided to expand her knowledge at Manchester Polytechnic undertaking a bachelor’s degree in Design History. This allowed her to study key artists, trends and designers and also develop skills in glassblowing, ceramics, metalwork, textiles and print media. Upon graduating, as co-owner and creator she established a small design company - Chameleon - utilising scrap materials to make furniture and lighting, gaining a special commission to design set lighting for Channel 4's new youth culture and music programme "Network 7". Other designs featured on “The Other Side of Midnight” an arts TV review programme, and the collection was shown in several UK galleries. This included a special exhibit in the grand main entrance to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London where the pair also were invited to lecture on British contemporary design. In 1986 Hollemans was chosen as regional representative at a European gathering for young entrepreneurs, also receiving a grant from the Prince’s Trust. In the austerity years of the late 1980s practicalities required a complete direction change, and Hollemans found herself in the corporate world developing her IT and management skills and also gave her the opportunity to indulge another passion, travel. Alongside her personal travel adventures, this fed a desire to explore, and is a tenacious force in her work today.