Artist Bio
Holly Wasinger describes herself as a lifelong artist. She started showing the paintings that had become her safe space about 25 years ago in the galleries that made up Denver 's Alternative Arts Alliance. She eventually became a member of Chicano Humanity and Arts Council under the encouragement of her mentors Carlota Espinoza and Stevon Lucero (from 1995 to 2022) who she apprenticed in mural projects.
Holly later had the opportunity to mentor young artists while creating public art for the city of Denver through the ArtsStreet program and taught art in schools, detention facilities and hospitals through ArtReach. Although she loves creating meaningful and experimental studio work, her true passion is facilitating the creation of community artwork and creative collaborative projects that solve problems through art.
Graphic self portrait by the artist
Artist Statement
Visual art has the power to directly communicate an emotional experience from person to person, bypassing divisive intellectual constructs and biases that confound our ability to truly relate and connect in meaningful ways. It can facilitate empathy and understanding across boundaries of culture and circumstance. This ability to convey and connect the most fundamental human experiences is central to my artistic process.
Works often start with a memory of a pivotal moment, for example catching a glimpse of a hawk that flew above me on my daily walk after a wildfire had passed through. I try to sketch how the moment felt in a notebook - adding color or different types of strokes to convey the emotion around the subject. I transfer this sketch onto canvas with a line drawing with a paintbrush using acrylic washes. With each layer I try to capture the subject and emotion. Sometimes I pour a clear epoxy between layers or add texture or artifacts and items with an emotional connection to the subject. I continue layering the image until it "feels" how the original memory did.
I strive to observe and communicate personally impactful experiences in order to uncover the universally human struggles and private personal victories at the roots of these human rights of passage. I use color and execution - from chaotic dripping strokes to more realistic rendering - to convey the emotions driving the interpretation of the subjects. It is my ultimate goal to convey a strong emotional experience that ultimately makes the viewer feel understood and connected.
