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Paula Holtzclaw is a nationally admired artist based in Waxhaw, North Carolina, approximately 30 miles south of Charlotte. What her fans may not know is that Holtzclaw is also a dedicated collector of contemporary representational art, much of it made by colleagues she knows personally. “I have never made a purchase based solely on the artist’s name or the piece’s current or future commercial value,” she declares. “I buy only what speaks to me on a personal level, something that — as they say — ‘grabs you and won’t let go.’”

Holtzclaw’s “appreciation of art reaches back as far as I can remember. By the second grade, my creative endeavors were being recognized and encouraged by my parents and teachers.” She continues, “The first original artworks I can recall in our family home were made by my grandmothers, who had both studied art in college. Being exposed to the smells and textures of their various supplies heightened my own creative energy. I particularly remember being mesmerized by a tonalist nocturne painting displayed in my grandparents’ home, and I am fortunate to have it in my collection today.”

The artist’s first “real” art purchase came when she and her husband, Charles, attended an opening reception in Charlotte: “The gallery had already sold a few of my pieces, so I was familiar with its artists, and we were immediately captivated by David Ballew’s painting ‘Storm Lit Pines’.” Lightning struck twice at that gallery, which later sold the couple their next treasure — Curtis Jaunsen’s still life ‘Tomatoes and Pottery’, which Holtzclaw praises for its “Old Master quality.”

Soon enough, Paula and Charles found themselves “purchasing art for our anniversaries and birthdays, then just because we loved the piece.” Today their collection of paintings includes not only works by Paula and both of her grandmothers, but also by Amy Adams, Olena Babak, Suzie Baker, David Ballew, Marcia Ballowe, Cindy Baron, Chula Beauregard, Ovanes Berberian, Brian Blood, Nancy Boren, Robert Brown, Susan Carlson, Han Cashion, Kathleen Coy, Bill Cramer, Katie Dobson Cundiff, Julie Davis, Leslie Davis, Sara Jane Doberstein, Vlad Milan Duchev, Laura Edwards, Sheri Farabaugh, Cynthia Feustel, Peter Fiore, Susan Hotard, Kellie Jacobs, Barbara Jaenicke, Ralph James, Curtis Jaunsen, Daniel Keys, Robert Knapp, Ann Larsen, Jeff Legg, Calvin Liang, Kyle Ma, Rick McClure, Robert Moore, Anita Mosher, Darcie Peet, Virginia Pendergrass, Devin Michael Roberts, Elizabeth Robbins, Pauline Roche, Gladys Roldan-de-Moras, Ann Sanders, Sandy Scott, David Simons, Fred Sprock, James Swanson, Andres Vivo, Romona Youngquist, Jeff Yeomans, and Allie Zeyer. The couple’s sculptures have been created by Dan Chen, Kim Kouri, Gwen Marcus, Diane Mason, Louise Peterson, Diana Reuter-Twining, Stefan Savides, and Sandy Scott.

Holtzclaw is quick to highlight her gratitude for such professional nonprofit organizations as the American Impressionist Society (AIS), American Society of Marine Artists (ASMA), American Women Artists (AWA), National Oil & Acrylic Painters’ Society (NOAPS), Oil Painters of America (OPA), Plein Air Painters of the Southeast (PAPSE), and Women Artists of the West (WAOW). “I am proud to belong to these groups and to exhibit regularly in their annual shows. Having said that, I find it almost impossible to come home from those events without an acquisition! Many were made by artists I have formed friendships with, and each piece has a personal connection, reminding me of specific moments.”

Most of these organizational shows are hosted by commercial galleries, which Holtzclaw applauds for their ongoing service to artists and the art community at large: “Their owners and staff members work really hard, and I’d like to think that my purchases through them are paying it forward.”

Holtzclaw demurs when asked to name her favorite artworks, but she offers some observations about themes within the collection. “Because Charles and I have named our home ‘Birdsong,’ many of our sculptures depict birds, such as Diane Mason’s ‘Tea for Two’. We are also partial to images with oak leaves, as our wedding rings (designed by Charles) are engraved with them.”

Animals are cherished in the Holtzclaw home. James Swanson’s painting “The Water Guardian,” which won Best of Show at the NOAPS exhibition last year, reminds Paula of a golden retriever she once owned, while Kyle Ma’s “Farm Life” — a Christmas gift from Charles — evokes the chickens her grandparents kept on their farm. Bill Cramer’s painting “Luminous Towers” was purchased in Scottsdale, right after the Holtzclaws had admired the brilliant red rocks in nearby Sedona. And Jeff Yeomans’s “Warm Water Reflections” depicts a mother wading into the ocean with her young twins, just as Paula did with her twin sons.

Holtzclaw confesses that she is “almost completely out of wall space, so we will either need to build an additional wall or hang art on the ceiling!” For every incoming artwork, she orders a frame plaque bearing the title and artist’s name, which facilitates conversations when visitors come to admire. These plaques also bring the artists’ identities into focus for the longer term: Paula confides, “Knowing that our children will inherit much of our collection, I like to think that the plaques will inspire future generations to learn more about the artists, and about us. After all, we did not buy these artworks to match the decor; we bought them because they touch our souls.”

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