Holly Parson Nielsen

Artist Statement

Over the last two years I’ve spent a great deal of time in my garden landscaping, tinkering about, observing plants, flowers, and wildlife. It’s become a great source of rejuvenation for me.

In this image, Sunflower, I wanted to create a partnership between myself and the plants and wildlife living in my garden. I’ve found it interesting that they seem to go about their natural cycle unaware of the gardener who provides them a semi-curated environment to dwell. Though they may not know my presence I greatly benefit being in theirs. To visually represent this partnership, I’ve designed a mixture of organic and geometric shapes, lines, lost and found edges, with a visual movement nodding to the seasonal lifecycle. There are dominant plants and insects as well as subordinate representational shapes and images of plants and flowers.

The geometric elements alongside the organic representing the human influence into the garden as the human is also a part of the lifecycle.

The Garden has developed into a refuge for me as well as a vital source for the vegetation and wildlife.

Bio

Holly Parson Nielsen’s art encompasses painting and drawing, mixing abstract elements with narrative impulses. Much of her work is created through the element of line and using mixed mediums.

As an illustrator, she has published with a variety of publications, including Covenant Communications, Hickman Music Editions, and the National Society for John Steinbeck. She was accepted to the Illustration Academy in Richmond, Virginia, where she studied with some of the great illustrators of our time, including Sterling Hundley, Brent Watkinson, John English, Gary Kelley, and C.F. Payne. In 2018 she received the Moon Beam children's book Gold Medal Award. Holly received a Master of Fine Art from the University of Utah in 2021. She has taught as adjunct faculty at Utah Valley University and taught as an instructor of record at the University of Utah. Her work has been featured in group exhibitions at the East Idaho Museum of Art, the Gittins Gallery, and the Hemming Village Juried Exhibition. She presented a solo show at L.E. and Thelma E. Stephens Performing Arts Center in 2018.

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