By Teresa Lopez.
The brush clicks out of their packages and dip into the water while washing off her newest paint. Hollie sets up her canvas and starts her first acrylic painting.
Hollie Nowlan, a senior AP art student, submitted a painting piece of her family and won an award for her outstanding job. The exhibition she submitted showcases students’ work from all over Texas. Hollie’s piece will be displayed at the Bullock Museum in Austin from Feb. 26 to Mar. 30.
“Being able to represent the Abilene High art community it’s just really an honor,” Hollie said.
The painting was of Hollie’s sister and her dog to show her love for them.
“The inspiration was because I really love them,” Hollie said. “I love painting my family, I love drawing my family. They’re my world and I paint my world.”
Hollie has also never painted with acrylic paint before so it was different trying a new style.
“I don’t usually do acrylic paintings but it was good to experiment with new mediums,” Hollie said “The colors that I used really represented my sister. She’s really happy and she’s just lovely.”
Art teacher Kelly Fuller is excited to be able to share Hollie’s achievement with her peers and teachers.
“When she created this piece that we had I automatically knew that it would fit for this competition to potentially go to Austin,” Fuller said. “I was not super surprised because I know how talented she is, but I was super excited for her.”
Hollie’s inspiration for the painting was the quote “There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy,” by Ralph H. Blum.
“The quote is very fitting because the piece, when you look at it, is very calm, and she has a very calm aspect about her when she does her art,” Fuller said. “She’s very thoughtful on every piece she creates and her planning process.”
