How did you get started and then develop your career?
Marcia Holmes: After a career as a CPA, I started experimenting by questioning my mother, who was an accomplished abstract artist in Mississippi. First using transparent layers of oil, watercolor and ink on paper, in a process of extremely loose, alla prima sessions, I added pastel as the “accent” on top and fell in love with the visceral quality, immediacy, and glorious color that remained.
Twenty-one years later, with over 16 Solo exhibitions, numerous juried award-winning pastel exhibitions, features and museum inclusions, notably, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art Louisiana Contemporary 2018 for my abstract painting; I have been awarded Eminent Pastel status with the International Association of Pastel Societies, as well as the distinction of Master Pastelist with the Pastel Society of America.
How do you find inspiration?
Totally immersed in nature I find inspiration from water reflections, exploring a feeling, energy of movement, and creatively interpreting these strong impressions as I hover between abstract expressionism and representation. Often painting larger scale impressionist landscape paintings in oil or mixed media on canvas, my desired response for a viewer in all that I do is to find a resting place of ‘grace in space’.
To see more of Marcia’s work, visit: www.MarciaHolmes.com
