Indigenous A retrospective glimpse into the journey of an artist through past and present work, inspiration, and works in progress.
About the exhibit
"I am so excited to share my artsy life with you through this lovely exhibit!
Some of the art is from my private collection and will return home to me. It is here to offer you an opportunity to be inspired or moved. Some of the art is hoping you will fall in love with it and take it home to enrich your own life.
There are even some rare pieces on offer from my Cirque du Soleil collection, including prototypes. I created Costume Balls, paintings, and sculptural work for Cirque du Soleil for years.
You will find books that I take inspiration from, some of my journals (which you are encouraged to flip through), and pieces of book art. I LOVE the marriage of art and books! You will also find partly finished paintings to inspire… it’s always fun to see how a piece comes to life.
By bringing together my art and pieces of my studio/home to give you glimpses into my artsy life, it is my hope that this exhibit will inspire you to embrace a little (or a lot!) more creative expression in your life - every day.
Be you! You are the only one who can."
- Holly Dean
MEET THE ARTIST
Holly Dean
I grew up in the rolling hills of Uxbridge, Ontario, Canada, where my lovely mom fed my creative imagination and my British father instilled in me his love of England. I possess a romantic soul, relating to the world around me through myth and legend.
My childhood reads like a story book - wandering country lanes and wooded hillsides on horseback, feeling nature’s cloak settling easily around my shoulders.
Abbey ruins shrouded in mist, wonderfully gnarled trees and skilfully decorated manuscript pages inspire my art. I love to create art steeped in mystery, evolving in organic layers of image, colour, texture, line, and word. Merging various media allows me to open a door on the multi-faceted dreamscape of my imagination - to share what I see and feel in an abstract way.
I love teaching others to explore their creative expression through play in mixed media art. To see their joy and sense of freedom as they find their voice in the amazing art they create feeds my soul.
My love of creative expression infuses all areas of my life. I find joy in preparing (and eating) delicious and colourful meals, my unconventional use of space and the way I decorate my lovely old home, the funky clothes I wear, and in letting my hair go wild.
As I get older, I realize that living a truly creative life is what keeps me young. It’s my connection to that child who still notices and is excited by the beauty in the smallest of things.
It is a magical journey, this artsy life, and I highly recommend it!
