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Biography - Aaron Holland

(photo.LindavanBeek)

Aaron Holland

Artist's Statement:

My formal training has been in the “Boston School” tradition, at the Studio of Peter Bougie and Brian Lewis (an Atelier), in the lineage of Richard Lack.  While there, I was trained in portraiture, figurative, and still life painting methods, as well as a thorough study of academic drawing approaches.  I studied with Mr Bougie and Mr. Lewis every day for five days a week, approximently 7-8 hours a day, for three and a half years.   Ironically, it was while I was there that I came to love the landscape.

Both of my teachers are ardent "Plein Air" ( outside, on location) landscape painters, and would often bring in their paintings for our appreciation.  After much time spent in the studio their paintings were like a breath of fresh air, and the saturated colors of outdoor light seemed beyond comprehension.  I was further impressed by the notion that the paintings were done without the aid of photographic references!  It was their belief that, although sometimes necessary, it can often be counter-productive to the aims of a true artist.

I have been painting “on my own” since 1998, and have tried to maintain the same integrity and faithfulness towards landscape painting that I saw demonstrated there.  Although there are some differences in how I see and paint the landscape,  I think that is an important aspect to growing and developing as an artist.  I have made an effort to dedicate several days each week to paint direct from nature.  During these painting sessions I have been seeking to capture both the essence of a scene, and how it speaks to me on a personal level.  Currently I am concentrating on smaller en plein air compositional studies with a focus on light and color, painted "en premiere coup" (or, in one sitting).  

There is still so much to learn, and I am often overwhelmed by the challenges of  landscape painting.  Sometimes it seems that the more I learn, the more I realize I have a lot more to learn…but, that keeps it interesting!

Aaron Holland studied art full-time(40 hrs/week) at the Bougie Studio(atelier) in Minneapolis. He was in apprenticeship to Peter Bougie and Brian Lewis from 1995-1998, where he studied Classical Realism in the French Academic tradition, also known as the "Boston School".  He studied Anatomy, Drawing with dry media, figure drawing and painting, still-life, composition,  He is one of three instructors that helped to start the Kewaunee Academy of Fine Art, where he was an instructor since 2002 (formerly Barnsite Art Studio).

Holland currently resides and continues to paint at his studio on the Door Peninsula of Wisconsin. He is known primarily for 'plein air' oil paintings of landscapes, however he also explores with versatility a number of other genre, such as portraiture, still-life, and figurative paintings, etc...

Aaron is a dedicated teacher, and strives to instill in his students a mastery of drawing, mixed with a "painterly" approach to painting, and stresses the importance of painting "direct from nature"; mixed with this is a thorough knowledge of anatomy, an understanding of color theory, and basic principles of pictorial composition, among other elements.

Teaching Venues:

Private Instruction

1996-present

Door County Art League

2007 (AUG.), Watercolor Demonstration - "How to Paint a Realistic Scene From Memory"

BAY AREA WATERCOLOR GUILD

2002-2005, Watercolor Demonstrations and Lectures

demo's include: "Practical Color Theory", "Painting a Picture Start to Finish", "Top Ten Principles of Composition"

Kewaunee Academy of Fine Art

Kewaunee, WI

Instructor of classical drawing and painting techniques. One of three instructors to design and start the program.

April 2004- May 2008

Barnsite Art Studio (also known as Kewaunee Academy of Fine Art)

Kewaunee, WI

Workshop Instructor in various drawing and painting classes

2001- (currently Kewaunee Academy of Fine Art)

Peninsula Art School

Fish Creek, WI

Offers Various workshops in Drawing and Painting

2000- Present

Miller Art Museum

Sturgeon Bay, WI

various workshops- drawing and painting

2002-2004 (circa)

Minnesota River School of Fine Art

Burnsville,MN.

Youth Arts Instructor- Drawing and Painting

1999-2000

Current Artwork featured:

  • Summer 2008- American Artist Watercolor magazine- Finalist, Cover Competition 
  • Summer 2008- Estes Park, CO- International Plein Air Painters (IPAP) Group Show  (currently touring on a North American Tour)
  • Summer 2008- Hardy Center for the Arts "Invitational Exhibition" Ephraim, Wisconsin
  • Summer 2008- Hardy CFA  'Mosaic Event' and Auction to benefit for the CFA -Invitational

Previous Awards and Shows:

  • 2008 -- Solo Show- Featured Artist for June "Artist of the Month" Door County Memorial Hospital
  • 2008 -- Peninsula Art School "2008 Salon" Annual Show
  • 2008 -- Solo Show at Link Gallery in Fish Creek in conjunction with Contemporary Landscape Artists (CLA)
  • 2008 -- 2008- Hosting Artist for the “World Tour of Contemporary Landscape Artists”
  • 2008 -- Richeson 75 International Competition: "Artist Choice"- Awarded a Meritorious Entry in the the Publication
  • 2007 -- Miller Art Museum "Coming Home For The Holidays" Christmas Show- Invited Artist
  • 2007 -- "People's Choice" Cash Award- Miller Art Museum Juried Annual Show
  • 2007 -- International Plein Air Painters and Landscape Artists International - "World Tour"
  • 2007 -- Miller Art Museum: "2007 Annual Juried Art Show"- Featured Artist
  • 2007 -- Richeson 75 International Competition: "Landscape and Exteriors" Exhibition
  • 2007 -- Richeson 75 International Competition: "Landscapes and Exteriors" Publication
  • 2007 -- Door County Art League - Painting Demonstration in Watercolor
  • 2007 -- Judge of Awards- Door County Art League 'Members Only Exhibition' - Sturgeon Bay, WI.
  • 2007 -- Solo Show - Wallflowers Gallery- Canby, Oregon (May)
  • 2007 -- Faculty Show Peninsula Art School- Fish Creek, WI.
  • 2007 -- "Alive in the Arts- Juried Exhibition"- Plymouth Arts Center, Plymouth, WI
  • 2007 -- Richeson 75 International Competition: "Figure/ Portrait" Awarded Meritorious Entry into Publication
  • 2007 -- Still Life '07- Online Art competition
  • 2007 — Richeson 75 International Competition: "Still-Life" Exhibition
  • 2007 -- Richeson 75 International Competition: "Still Life" Publication
  • 2006 — Special Merit Cash Award- Miller Art Museum Annual Show
  • 2006 — Beacons Around the Bay — juried charity fundraiser and auction
  • 2006 -- Alla Prima International Exhibit (Invited Guest Artist) Barnsite Art Studio and Gallery
  • 2006 -- Christmas Exhibition at Plymouth Arts Center Plymouth, WI
  • 2005 — Participated in Tulip Time's 75th anniversary —jubilee in Holland, Michigan
  • 2005 — City of Holland- Purchase of "The Dutch Windmill" for Windmill Island.
  • 2005 — Keynote Speaker at Bay Area Watercolor Guild — Lecture Composition.
  • 2005 — Hardy Center for the Arts — juried annual show
  • 2004 — Sturgeon Around the Bay — participated in juried charity event.
  • 2004 — Hardy Center for the Ats — juried annual show
  • 2004 — Keynote Speaker and Demonstration at Bay Area Watercolor guild
  • 2004 — Miller Art Museum — juried annual show
  • 2003 -- Hardy Center for the Arts- Juried Annual Show
  • 2003 — Cover Artist for the Key to the Door Illustrated — winter edition magazine
  • 2002 — Sturgeon Around the Bay — Invited Artist for the first annual charity fundraiser
  • 2001 -- Snowstar Gallery- Invited Artist 2001/2002 season
  • 2001 -- Hardy Gallery Ephraim, WI "Door County Collection 2001" Show
  • 2001 -- Door County Art League Door County, WI - Annual Exhibit
  • 2001 — Emerging Artist Grant — Invited Artist (one of six) First Annual Emerging Artist Peninsula Art School, Fish Creek
  • 2001 -- "Romantics Show" Group Show- Stone Harbor Resort, Sturgeon Bay, WI
  • 2001 -- "Faculty Exhibit" Peninsula Art Schoo, Fish Creek, WI
  • 1999 -- Minneapolis Institute of Art- "Foot In The Door" exhibition
  • 1997 -- West Bend Art Museum, West Bend, WI - Annual Juried Show
  • 1996-2001 -- West Bend Art Museum, West Bend, WI - Annual Juried Shows
  • 1994 -- Participated inGroup Show Studio 613 ( 4 man show)
  • 1992 -- Awarded commision for 21 stained glass windows for St. Peter's United Church of Christ

Professional Affiliations:

Gaytee Stained Glass

Mnneapolis, MN.

Glass designer and fabricator ( see St. Peters UCC in Gallery Page) from 1995-2000

Oil Painters of America

Associate Member since 2005

International Plein Air Painters

Signature Member since 2007

Landscape Artists International

Invited Member 2007

Peninsula Plein Air Painters

Charter Member

Door County Art League

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