TRAHC Presents ‘He, She; Them’ The Art of Michelle Holman

The Texarkana Arts and Humanities Council presents "He She Them: The The Art of Michelle Holman" on display from November 17 through January 24 at the Regional Arts Center. Admission is free for the exhibit.

Michelle Anne Holman was born and raised in Texarkana, Texas. Holman is an artist who creates large-scale oil painted portraits that stylistically use irregular paint application mixed with controlled brushstrokes and refined areas. She attended Oklahoma State University where she obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis in painting in December of 2014. Holman is currently attending the School of Visual Arts in New York City to achieve her Masters of Fine Arts in 2017. Michelle interned at Universal Limited Art Editions on Long Island, New York and has exhibited works in New Jersey, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Michelle says.
"I am intrigued by the human figure. The face and its features are what I find most compelling about a person, along with their personality and body language. Every human being has a different anatomical facial structure. Thus everyone is unique and appealing in his or her own way- I try to visually achieve this in my paintings. I capture their unique distinction in my oil paintings by the eyes creating the conversation.

I apply irregular thick or thinned down paint to create visual appeal. Some facial features of the figures are defined, while others are loosely represented by the unintentional-seeming mark making. The eyes are the focal point and most detailed portion of the portraits. I use various shades of multiple colors to enhance the facial structures to look dimensional in a loose abstract way. I use expressive brushstrokes to create movement. I see distinct colors in skin tones and dramatically heighten the hue colors for contrast.

I am interested in both representing the essence of a person through portraiture, but am also equally intrigued in investigating the physical nature of paint through stylistic exploration. I am able to use drip, splatter, and smearing to blend the paints in a visually appealing way. As a part of my paintings, sometimes something can go as unintended such as a drip, splatter, color choice, or drastic brush movement. Rather than trying to fix this ‘accident’, I keep it. It becomes an integral part of the process as an artist. To deal with error, I choose to let it happen and work with it. The unpredictable, as with life, is more adventurous and stimulating."