Holly Ann Schenk

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I grew up in Nebraska, where I received both Bachelors and Masters degrees in Art Education. I moved to Kansas City in 1982 and was an art director at Hallmark Cards for twelve years. I have taught art in numerous settings, including both public and private elementary and high schools, the University of Nebraska-Kearney, and the Kansas City Art Institute. My artwork consists primarily of acrylic paintings and pastels, although I venture into almost everything two dimensional, including caricatures and collage. Having been art teacher for students of all ages, backgrounds, and skill levels, I’ve grown comfortable with many different media and styles. My favorite is a form of pointillism using acrylics. While I like both objective and non-objective, traditional and non-traditional work, color is always a central focus. I love looking at the world and seeing the amazing array of colors and shapes. It’s fun to see the relationships that surround us every day, and then to share that vision through my artwork. My subjects come primarily from personal reference photos; I never go anywhere without my camera. Some of my apparently non-objective pieces actually start out with architectural photo research. I can’t imagine not being able to express myself through my art; it’s an integral part of my life. And being able to give the viewer a bit of joy in the process is more than just an added extra!