Israel Holloway

Biography

Israel Holloway was born 1972 in Boulder Colorado and grew up in the Yampa Valley. He showed an early interest in art and spent several years as a third-generation sign painter where he was introduced to the elements and principles of design and the use of color language. In 1994 Israel was commissioned to sculpt for a popular Denver artist and continued to pursue his artistic development through the years while working in construction, woodworking and drafting. “I’ve always considered myself a student of fine art. I think the greatest teachers for me have been the public library, daily practice, and certainly all the wonderful students I’ve had. The artists who have been kind enough to publish their knowledge, observations and methods over the years have certainly influenced my work. Harley Brown, Burt Silverman, Steve Hanks, Norman Rockwell, and Edward Curtis are a few that I look to for advice.”

Israel began painting full time in 2010 and taught painting, drawing, and 2-D design courses at Colorado Northwestern Community College from 2012 – 2017. He is an Art Juror for the Routt County Fair, a volunteer art instructor for Connections 4 Kids, has judged the Whittle the Wood Rendezvous, and regularly donates artwork for the CNCC Scholarship Fund. Israel takes thousands of pictures at horse drives, rodeos, on back roads and ranches that inspire his life-like watercolor paintings. His award winning work exhibits at select shows, galleries and venues throughout the country. Israel and his family live in the Yampa Valley sharing the same back-country as Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid, Ann Bassett, and the Wild Bunch.

“Watercolor is a dance between human intention and the uncontrollable nature of water. For me it’s the perfect balance of what I want to portray and what the water wants to do. I embrace the traditional technique of eliminating white paint from my palette. Colors and highlights are created using the purest transparent watercolors, water, and the ‘white’ of the paper only.”

“I love an engaging composition with a strong center of interest, a dominant overall color and areas for the eyes to rest, but most of my pieces are also about exploring the human condition and our inner responses to our outer world. I think when we look at a piece of art we also see the artist, so I’m trying to explore honesty, resilience, humility, and certainly beauty in my art and life. I look for an expression of inner peace, something I hope for in myself and in humanity as a whole. I also hope that the overall body of work portrays the real living west that still exists today. I try to capture honest moments and expressions and rarely ask a subject to pose.”

Education: Self educated

Awards & Honors
2012 Clyde Heron Award from the American Plains Artists at the Museum of the Southwest, chosen by juror/artist John Coleman (Cowboy Artists of America) – 2013 Jack Richeson and Co. Award from the National Watercolor Society, San Pedro, California, also chosen for the 2014 Traveling Exhibition – 2013 Mission Gold Award and 2014 Peoples Choice Award from the 45th and 46th Annual Watercolor West International Juried Exhibitions, Brea, California – 2015 Golden Spur Award (Artists Choice Award), and Artists Retreat Award from the American Plains Artists 30th Annual Juried Exhibit, Great Plains Art Museum, Lincoln, Nebraska – 2016 First Place Purchase Award, Mountain Art Show, CNCC, Craig, Colorado – Chosen for the covers of the 2014 and 2015 Colorado State High School Rodeo Association Finals, ‘World’s Largest Watercolor’ completed in 2021 at the Museum of Northwest Colorado.

Selected Exhibitions
Coors Western Art Exhibit and Sale, ‘The Russell’ Exhibit and Sale to Benefit the C.M. Russell Museum, Mountain Oyster Club, National Watercolor Society, Watercolor West, American Plains Artists, Southwest Artists, Transparent Watercolor Society of America, Rocky Mountain National Watermedia, Colorado Watercolor Society, Foothills Art Center, Lone Tree Art Center, PACE Center, Art Steamboat, Richeson 75, Great Plains Art Museum, Museum of the Southwest, Museum of Northwest Colorado, Mountain Art Show, and the Meeker Classic International Art Show.

Selected Publications: Southwest Art, Wild West Magazine, Western Art & Architecture

Selected Collections: Museum of Northwest Colorado permanent collection, Colorado Northwestern Community College permanent collection.

Artwork to be Showcased