Kate Holloman

We all come to moments when exhaustion and the feeling of being completely overwhelmed are bigger than anything. We want to be able to relax and regain our senses, but if a way to do that hasn’t been presented to us, it can be hard to think one up. For some people, a way to relax is through meditation, petting an animal, for some through watching TV, or it can be listening to music, even cleaning, or physical exercise, a walk in nature, intentional photography, or through being creative. Let’s talk about how art can help you relax! WHY ART If you consider yourself an artist, you already know how soothing it can be to sit down to your artwork and get to it. If you are not an artist, but are considering art, let me explain what creating art does to a person. 1.  It stops your thoughts – that’s right. Somehow, when your mind is overwhelmed with bunches of thoughts, drawing stops the thinking process. Your brain focuses on the hand-eye coordination and not on solvin...

ACEO stands for Art Cards Editions and Originals. The Artwork always has to measure 2.5 x 3.5 inches but isn't limited to a specific medium or subject. So if you can think it and create it, do it on this format and you might even sell it, because this format has collectors' eyes on it! HOW I GOT TO ACEOs I started creating ACEOs a few years ago. After I moved to the States, I started exploring the waters as an artist and found out many cool things about what an artist can do in America. When I came across ACEOs, I was hooked and I only wished I started a lot earlier when there was a big boom and they were so popular that almost anything you created was sold! I always loved drawing miniatures and so this became a very fun way to create something intriguing and I knew it could have great value. In the past I created several series, some of which were more popular and sold almost instantly (like Watercolor Mermaids, or Colored-pencil Parakeets, or Marker Puppy and Kitty series...

Watercolors, Illustrations, ACEOs, lots of Czech and English language, lots of energy at home and major lack of sleep. How can all of that exist together! This has been one serious week! ART: I continued The Girl and her Cat series and got as far as 5 illustrations. (showing the 5th one here. For the other ones, check out  this post ) After that, I needed a little break, but I will get back to it and create more pieces. I took one morning to get back to one of my favorite styles, which is pure line art, and drew a Spring-inspired portrait! And I really do love this!  (I love this style so much that I actually created a whole coloring book last year and if you like coloring and you are a mother or have a mother or a mother friend, this book is for you! It also has a section of encouraging Bible verses. It's called Treasure of the Heart and you should check it out!) ;) Then yesterday I thought, wow, I haven't painted any ACEOs in a really long time! A...

Hi everyone!  After my last post , I am happy to share with you this emerging series about a little girl and her pet cat. This has been so much fun! Even though there isn't a written story behind it, these are inspired by my own childhood that was truly filled with lots of fun adventures with pets. Making time to sit down and paint wasn't always that easy this week though.  With kids being done with sickness and going back to kindergarten, then getting sick again, and my husband's dad flying in from the US to spend several days with us, it has really been something. How has your week been? How much time were able to give to art? Did you post about it anywhere where I could see? Let me know! Why this series There were a couple reasons behind this series.  1. It's easy to paint because it's connected to fun memories. And this girl is the kind of a character that I happen to draw a lot, and even though she doesn't look completely like me when I was a ki...

Hey everyone,    Here are just a couple of things for the start that I would like to share... Mr. Pug - 5x7 watercolor My cousin with her newborn son, Chris - 5x7 marker and coloring pencils cartoon Portrait of a horse - 11x14 dry pastels Painted shell - acrylics, sealed with a UV protective glossy varnish Chihuahua loves a cookie - 5x7 acrylics This is an older piece, but I love it! So leave me some comments, I would appreciate to know that you stopped by. Thanks : )

Hi everyone! Sorry for not being around for such a long time. You might be wondering why I wasn't active on here AT ALL. Well, as some of you may know, my hubby and I lived in Florida last year. At the beginning of this past summer, we moved up to Delaware, and for four months lived at his parents' house and were working on renovating a small house that was offered to us for low rent (all this was such a blessing!). Now, we've been in our new home for a little over a week. It's been wonderful and so rewarding after all the hard work that had to be put into it. (I will share pictures with you soon!) So, not being able to unpack my art for four months, you can probably understand that it was quite difficult to just work. Now, slowly I am getting everything out off the boxes and looking forward to really get back into it all! (and also, I just really have to, because I am getting some wonderful Christmas orders and I don't want to keep my customers waiting). F...

Hi, I am back with some samples of what I've been doing lately. As you probably already know, I love ACEOs and the whole concept of small art fascinates me. Here are some birds and some parrots. The rest you can find in my shop http://katehollart.etsy.com

Hi :) I finally got to what I wanted to do for a long time! Dog breeds! I had been sketching and doodling but never took it farther. Why? I didn't know which way to go! What format, what texhnique... hand drawn or digital? But as I discovered ACEOs and became more fond of watercolors, I started realizing - that this is it! :) And so here they come! I have only a few, but I think it's good for the start! What do you think?? I will work probably alphabetically, but if anyone wants me to jump to some breed faster, I can do it;) They are all gonna be available (and THESE ALREADY ARE) on etsy - http://katehollart.etsy.com Please, leave some comments. Do you like them? Would you buy? What is your most favorite breed? Is three of each good number for the start?

Hi and thanks for coming to see my Sunday sketches :) I really enjoy doing this and hope that you will enjoy what you can see in my blog and in this post. These came around actually very randomly. I am in nature a line lover and since I haven't done anything like this (and left it black and white) for quite a while, I decided to just go for it and enjoy the lines again. And I did. I loved drawing these! They are just some young ladies, one is a fairy, another is an angel, the third one a teenager, and the last one a lover. They are titled with the first thing that came to my mind and I think it fits well enough :) When you look at them, you may notice that I enjoy drawing figures in different postures, the faces, and hair... yes, i love to draw these :) I am still unsure if and where I am going to post these for sale. They are cards 5x7 and they will be available only as originals. If you'd be interested, just come back here in a couple of days and the answer (and the lin...

I call them the "B" kittens. I believe they are siblings as they have same date of birth and pretty look quite alike :) Their names are Brady, Bradley and Bethany.  Cute cute kittens! This German Shepherdess is called Persephone. Beautiful name!  This kitty looked a bit shy and frightened. His name is Rocky. Isn't he absolutely wonderful? .I know I am talking like this about my PAINTINGS.. or so it seems, but I really have the real animals in mind. You can see them all here: furryfriendsrescue.org Make sure to check it out! They need help and lots of love! If you want to help by donations, you can do that at their website or by purchasing prints of these beauties at:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/KateHollArt?ref=si_shop

Hi, someone told me about this really neat thing that is out on blogspot. And I simply love the idea! So here I am sharing my sunday sketches with you :) THIS is the link to the main page of Sunday Sketches:  http://bluechairdiary.blogspot.com/ CLICK the pictures TO VIEW LARGER :) It's a collection of ACEO cards. They measure 2.5 x 3.5 inches.  This collection is about Mermaids. I LOVE mermaids and I think they are simply a great everlasting theme that will always have fans! Right now I am showing you 6 cards, one is fully done, the next is outlined and the rest is just sketches out.  There will be altogether 10 cards in this collection.  It will be available only in its original form, no prints will come afterwords.  If you'd be interested - they will be coming up on ebay. Here is the first one -  http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250776663039&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT#ht_545wt_78 Have a good and blessed week everyone! :) K...