“The guy who takes a chance, who walks the line between the known and unknown, who is unafraid of failure, will succeed.” Gordon Parks
Throughout Connie Millholland’s art education, art career and 31 years of teaching, she has always been fascinated with design. When an idea comes to mind, she contemplates how the concept can be uniquely presented within an interesting design. Her inspiration for the “Focal Point Series” came from sharing an environment with other abstract design artists. After experiencing their art, Millholland felt a turning point stir in her toward total freedom of expression. A comprehensive knowledge of art skills and techniques, critiques and advice from instructors and other artists helped her develop a process and formula for this series. The process begins with a dominate shape; then other shapes transpire through the use of stimulating color combinations and value contrast to enhance all the forms.
Millholland’s inspiration to become an artist began in elementary school. Though the school only designated one hour per week to art, the class exhilarated her. She seemed to develop, very early, an eye for drawing and was asked by teachers to develop art projects for the school. This provided great self-esteem for the young budding artist. Then again in high school there was only one art course offered during the four-year span.
Upon entering college as an art education student, Millholland anticipated plentiful art courses that would teach traditional skills and techniques. The traditional and representational art skills, which she so desired to learn, were no longer in vogue. Shortly after finishing her college studies Millholland began to seek out quality instruction at the Academy of Art in San Francisco and from individual artists who taught within their studios. It allowed her to develop skills through specialized classes and small group instruction. She found a mentor in her figure-drawing instructor, who had a very identifiable philosophy and process.
Millholland then spent several years evolving through trial and error, experimented in different mediums and tried many different painting styles. She also focused on social statement art done in surrealistic and semi-abstraction forms.
Millholland’s thrust is to present unique paintings which require constant evolution and transition into the new. She finds the challenge extremely exciting.
