Bruce Holwerda | About the Art

Thank you for your interest in my work. If this is your first look , welcome. If you're back to
see what's new, welcome back. I think anyone who has seen my paintings over the years
will agree that each year there are slightly altered and strangely weirdified changes in my
work. That's not because I'm wishy-washy on subjects or technique, it's just the natural
progression of how I see things. I have tried to stay faithful to my original idea of blending
fine art with illustrative cartooning yet also letting the drawing and concepts grow and
evolve from painting to painting.

I've always loved working with the figure and so combining the human form with simple
ideas, energetic poses or surreal portraits is fuel that generates my art. I almost always
paint with Acrylics on different surfaces; canvas, wood panel,and acid free papers.

Originals are hard to keep posted on this site. I just don't have time to keep an active
inventory. But feel free to E-Mail me about any you might be interested in. Most of what is
on this website will be Limited Edition Reproductions of my favorites. They are all Double
Matted and printed by Myself on archival papers with light fast inks.

Education:

Kendall School of Art and Design

Grand Rapids, MI

3/yr. Diploma Illustration

Utica College of Syracuse University B.F. A.

ARTIST STATEMENT

My passion as an artist has been the wonder of experimentation and the thrill of seeing the results of
a finished piece. My history as a visual artist has been to play with the medium, to have fun with the subject
and composition. I am a big fan of many forms of art. I love to study photo realistic landscapes and wildlife
paintings, I am in awe of modern glasswork and am fascinated with bronze sculpture. But when my creative
spirit kicks in, I want to paint. I have been defining and redefining my paintings in a continual process in
which every completed piece leads to the next. Looking always toward future endeavors ensures that my
current work is the best of my ability. Hopefully, my work will always continue to grow and evolve, combining
fresh ideas and innovative executions.

As a visual artist, it is my goal to master the skill necessary to translate the ideal image conceived in
my minds eye to a tangible form. I begin with a strong idea of the type of pose or figure that I want to paint,
but the designs, colors and even techniques come during the painting process. I believe that it is important
to put a finished piece out of sight and out of mind for several weeks, while continuing to work on other
projects, until I have detached myself from the last finished piece. This is when I bring it back out to critique.
A fresh eye will reveal whether or not I have succeeded. There is always a struggle between the balance and
form the eye understands, and the emotional involvement invested in the work. It is also very important to
me to bring the finished pieces out to meet the public, to display them in unfamiliar surroundings, and to listen
to the comments and wonderings of art patrons.

People are always wondering where I get my ideas, or what do you call these? If I were to be honest, one
painting session years ago I veered off course a bit and took a serious pose and got wacky with it. I
remember thinking "This is what I'm supposed to do". As for ideas, there's no shortage of them. When
working with whimsical surrealistic subjects in a fantasy world, the real question should be, "Where do you
find the time?"