A little about me and my work
Holly is a New Zealand based artist whose artworks explore the turbulent patterns that emerge in natural systems. Working with powdered charcoal, paint pigment, and powdered pastel, she builds images from dispersed particles, allowing texture and chance to shape the final form.
Inspired by clouds, nebulae, dust storms, and the collective motion of bird flocks,
the work reflects a fascination with how countless individual elements can move together to produce fleeting structures. Forms appear, dissolve, and reform across the surface, echoing the shifting dynamics of atmospheric and cosmic phenomena.
The resulting images occupy a space between abstraction and landscape, revealing moments of order within fields of instability.
The Materials
Charcoal
Hand-ground pigments mixed with minimal binder to create velvety gradients and luminous light. These archival pastels offer a unique tactile depth only found in pure color.
Pastel powder
Selected willow branches charred to perfection. This medium allows for deep, visceral blacks and ethereal shadows that define the structural rhythm of the work.
Paint pigments
Pure earth minerals ground into fine powders to provide an intense saturation and fluid opacity. This medium contrasts the dry texture of charcoal with a rich, immersive depth.