Holly Hester

Q: Your paintings often capture people in moments of passion and movement. What draws you to these emotionally intense scenes?

H: Dancing is a very emotionally passionate and intense scene for me to capture. The emotional intensity is based on my Southern background. The South embraces special dances like the Texas two step and line dancing. Dancers usually brave the hot, sunshine, and then stormy weather to dance. Atlanta, Georgia has hip hop dance off's on their streets. 

The emotional intensity of getting lost in a dance is familiar to me, but the draw to paint piece was to create my version of a "Dirty Dancing" meets "Romeo and Juliet." I wanted to paint the kind of dancing that would help others feel that same intensity. Lovers embracing each other all night carries a powerful energy.

I have pictures of my late grandparents staring into each other's eyes as they're  tightly holding each other and dancing. I can still feel their chemistry in pictures. I wanted others to feel a sensual love story. 

I realize everyone observes a painting differently, but still who doesn't want to feel that? I know I do. I am drawn to paint those stories. 

Q: Movement feels central in your work. How do you translate physical motion into your brushwork and composition?

H: Physical movement in a painting is simple for me, but it's much more than feeling in the work. The soul also plays a huge role in physical movement. My work, entitled "Savannah Nights", is meant to capture the intense concept and movements of a woman being romantically swept off her feet by a man. I kept this soul of this in each brush stroke. 

Q: Color plays a strong role in your paintings, especially bold reds and deep contrasts. How do you approach choosing your palette?

A: The color palette is a great question—I love this one. Color selection is fascinating to me. My choices are usually based on the story I want to tell. Take romance, for example: what are the colors of love and romance? And is the story about a hidden love, or one that is openly joyful and revealed?

For a hidden romance, I might subtly add some lighter tones somewhere high in the background to soften the mood a bit, though the palette would remain mostly darker. In the end, it all depends on the direction the artist wants the artwork to take.

Q: The backgrounds in your work often feel abstract and fluid. What role do they play in shaping the atmosphere of each piece?

H: The Fluidity in my abstract art has often played a huge role in shaping the atmosphere in my work, yes. In my "Savannah Nights" painting, for example, I found that adding more water beneath the couple's feet enhanced the fluidity, rather than painting them just dancing. I had an idea and suddenly added something to the painting, and found it worked better in the flow and emotion. This is common with artists. Nothing is wrong with a new direction in art. It is a beautiful rule. The idea is to enhance the atmosphere by increasing the movement. I am currently working on a painting that has faster-paced movements. 

Q: You primarily work in acrylic. What attracts you to this medium, and how does it support your expressive style?

H: I work mainly with acrylic. It’s the medium I started with and the one that has worked best for me so far. It could change at any time, but there’s no particular reason for that right now.

Q: Looking ahead, how do you see your work evolving? Are there new themes or directions you’re interested in exploring?

H: Yes, I do see my work evolving as an artist. I hope my work evolves every day. My plan for my work in this world is to use my paintings to raise awareness to help fight causes like Sex Trafficking. There are so many causes. I want my work to make a difference. Personally, I have always wanted to explore pottery as another way to grow in art.