Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery is extremely pleased to announce that Shelley Holtzman has been named as the Gallery’s new featured artist and she will now be promoted by the gallery for the next 14 days in the gallery’s Artist Showcase.

Shelley is an award-winning artist based in New York, USA. Shelley was selected as 1 of the top twelve finalists in the gallery’s 18th Solo Art Exhibition Series. The placement in this competition qualified her art to be showcased in this feature.

Shelley’s Artist Showcase feature will be promoted to over 350+ major news outlets, with inclusion on Google News & Bing News. In addition, the gallery will also be featuring and promoting her artwork in the gallery’s various social media networks for further exposure.

Below are Shelley’s Artist Biography, Artist Statement and 5 images that were submitted to this competition.

Artist Biography

Shelley Holtzman’s love of art began in childhood when she was drawn to the Pop art of Peter Max. After graduating from the University of Michigan with a BFA, she returned to New York and began her career in advertising as an art director, ultimately becoming group creative director and senior vice president for a division of J. Walter Thompson.

After 13 years, she left the corporate world to pursue her love of fine arts. Over time she has continued her art education at many schools, including Stanford University, The University of London, The Art Students League of New York, The New School and The Nassau County Museum of Art.

Her experience with graphic design is evidenced in her work which emphasize bold compositions. Shelley’s passion for color can be seen in her florals, landscapes, and portraits, as she strives to illuminate the vibrancy of people and the world around us. Whether painting in watercolor or oil she tries to push the boundaries of traditional chroma, intensifying saturation while juxtaposing hues to create an exciting dialogue for the viewer. Recently Shelley’s painting has evolved into the fanciful. Her current work combines her flowers with the animals she photographed on safari, to create unexpected, surreal landscapes.

Since 2011 Shelley has been Co-President of The Art Guild in Manhasset, New York. TAG, a nonprofit organization, has over 300 members and offers classes, workshops, exhibit opportunities and studio space to the greater New York area. She also serves as Preview Co-Chair for the Port Washington Library Art Advisory Council.

Shelley is an award-winning artist who has had four solo shows at various locations in her community. One of the shows, Mid-Winter Summer Solstice, was hung at North Shore LIJ Hospital, New Hyde Park, NY and afterwards, reproductions of her work remained on display in the hospital’s waiting room. She has exhibited at The Art Guild, The Graphic Eye Gallery, Huntington Arts Council, The Atelier at Flowerfield, Suburban Art League, The National Art League of Long Island and the Port Washington Library. Online gallery shows include Light Space and Time, American Watercolor Society, American Women Artists and Gallery Ring.

Artist Statement

My true passion is color…. and lots of it! I’m drawn to the way it’s reflected in light and shadow and I try to intensify this relationship while capturing the spirit of the moment. I enjoy painting in oil, acrylic and watercolor and usually have more than one project going at a time. This helps me be more objective with each piece. Whether working on florals, landscapes or portraits, I strive to illuminate the vibrancy of an image. The bold composition of my work stems from my experience as an art director and graphic designer.

This series all started with a floral arrangement from my husband. I was fascinated by the amazing color and shape of each petal. While photographing up close, I discovered how the slightest movement of the camera created an entirely new composition. I proceeded on a floral journey starting in acrylic and then venturing into watercolor and oil.

Since going on safari, animals have crept into my work. In my “Garden Variety” series I am moving away from simply “copying” an image to a more fanciful reinvention of the world. To achieve this, I create collages as my reference, then continue to move elements around as I paint, composing a new reality.

Shelley’s art can be viewed at ShelleyHoltzman.com. She also designs clothing, accessories and housewares at VIDA, a sustainable socially conscious global company. shopvida.com/collections/shelley-holtzman.