Yesterday, one of my favorite artists had a showing of his new work at one of my favorite galleries here in Vancouver. Kiff Holland is a terrific painter (and so too is his son Jonathan). I always feel not just comforted, but refreshed, when I see one of his paintings.
I like his oil work but I LOVE his watercolors, they're so lyrical and clean. The colors are gorgeous, and I especially love the way he captures the water. Many of the paintings are of the waters around Vancouver - many of them have boats, mostly sailboats.
The painting at the top of this blog is of sailboats in False Creek and of my bridge, the one I look out at every day - the Burrard Street bridge - so this is a particular favorite of mine.
He also does wonderful paintings with glass. Rows of bottles or oil lamps. I suspect that it's the reflections of the water and the glass that tempts him - I know that it's what tempts me when I see the paintings.
I paint a little ( a very little!) myself - and always in water color - but when I see Kiff Holland's work, it's easy to see the difference between a rank amateur (me) and a master. But I like to do it, like to fool around with the paint, like the feel of the brush in my fingers, like to get the color just right. I'll never be a painter but I love doing it.
Kate
2 comments:
Enjoyed your blog, thank you. I just acquired a beautiful Kiff Holland watercolour of three reddish boats on a spectacular lake with towering mountains (Rockies probably)as a backdrop. Mr. Holland's enchanting watercolour reminds me of a wonderful day spent ksyaking on deep green Emerald Lake with my husband, Steve, many years ago. Like Kiff Holland, I, too, worked at Capilano College (now University) in North Vancouver!
Hi Kate . . come and visit us at our studio, we are both there 9-6pm
Holland/Croft studios
3rd floor,106 west 2st street
north vancouver
Dene Croft
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