Arts&Crafts
Enjoyment of the eyes Despite being in her 70s, Jenny Holland’s artistic career is in its prime, with a new exhibition that celebrates her love of her local area
A
rtists are often drawn to the scenery of North Wales – none more so than Jenny Holland, who spends happy hours walking and sketching her surroundings from her home in Mold and transforming them into stunning works of art. The painter, who works in oils, is constantly inspired by a line from Van Gogh. “It’s from a letter he wrote to Emile Bernard and it just says: Enjoy Jenny in her element with your eyes.” The sentiment that is never far from her mind when walking the hills and coastline with her sketch book and paints. Harbours and fishing communities have always been a great attraction and “I want to Jenny will often be seen in her wellies capture by the creeks of the Dee estuary, or these painting or sketching on a harbour wall in moments Porthmadog, Aberaeron or Cemaes Bay. in time” North Wales satisfies her artistic drive with its abundance of shoreline. She said: “I Iove to be able to potter amongst the boats at low tide when all the masts are on their sides. Yet a few hours later the character of a place is radically changed and offers another opportunity to paint the bobbing boats and the reflections in the water.”
Taking her time
When Jenny was invited three years ago to stage a solo exhibition at the prestigious Oriel Ynys Môn centre in Llangefni, Anglesey – home to the Kyffin Williams collection – she eagerly set off from her studio near Mold, in Flintshire, sketch book and camera in hand. Gwynedd being a large county she decided to concentrate her time painting Anglesey and the Boats in Cemaes harbour Llyn Peninsula. Both were easily accessible, and her exploration took her through glorious countryside, sketching as she went. These trips turned out to be 110 SHIRE MAGAZINE | May/June 2022
Llanddwyn Island
a blessing, as soon after that Covid struck, and Jenny was locked down in her studio for long stretches of time, with her exhibition delayed by a year. The sketches proved invaluable. Working daily in oils, and with a large exhibition space to fill, Jenny’s home rapidly turned into an extended studio. Her bold and textural impressionistic style is achieved in oil, using brushes and a variety of painting knives. The challenge was finding somewhere to store the wet canvases safely – so she hit on the idea of using a series of clothesdrying stands. Borth-y-Gest beach “But the drying time for ‘impasto’ oils is anything from three to five months,” she groaned, laughing at the memory of that chaotic time.
Back out and about
As the constraints on travelling lessened, and having now produced several scenes of Anglesey, Jenny set off for Aberdaron on the Llyn Peninsula to revisit another much-loved location. She first fell in love with the village in the mid-1970s when her children were very young and the family stayed on a working farm. Jenny was captivated by its unspoilt, almost mystical charm back then. Now in her mid-70s, she still returns often, and her bold and lively depictions of the area encapsulate some of her own tremendous energy. She said: “It saddens me sometimes when I see our landscapes changing. I want to capture these moments in time.” Jenny’s paintings are now preparing for their long-awaited display at Oriel Môn. ‘The Grandeur of Gwynedd: Brushes with land and sea’ runs from 18th June to 31st July at the gallery in Llangefni and features 140 new pieces of work by the artist. Now that the days are lengthening and getting warmer, Jenny is already back outdoors, sketching and painting for a summer exhibition at Plas Glyn y Weddw, in Llanbedrog on the Llyn Peninsula. Find out more at jennyholland.artweb.com
