Lila Holdenried has been studying fine art and studio painting since 2012.  While developing her art, she has produced a vibrant collection of paintings. Holdenried continues to hone her artistry attending advanced artist workshops and Studio Arts classes in between attending her son's basketball games with her husband.   

 

When asked from where she finds her inspiration, Holdenried says, "My inspiration has grown from a familial love of art.  I feel the integrity of all that has passed.  My art is not completely mine, but comes from a place of rawness.  In many areas of the U.S., we tear down, we take away, and we replace most everything representative of our history, very few structures are preserved.  I seek to re-create the feeling of antiquity and restoration.  I don't want to obscure the brushwork, nor hide the knife marks, but work the canvas to see the contours of movement and feel the nature of the texture, brushwork...the knife work, the raking, and scraffito.  In 2024, I landed on an opportunity to lease studio space downtown in our historical building. The surroundings and atmosphere where I create now correlates with my desire to build history into my work.  Much of what I do comes from summers spent with my Mom, an art history professor, at the university and seeing canvases propped against the studio walls in the art department. The students had painted over previous work because most couldn't afford the luxury of new supplies. I noticed shadows of form in play underneath the layers.  Really great depth..and have never forgotten the imagery.”

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Holdenried has shown in local galleries and shows in East Tennessee and has permanent pieces in private and corporate collections. Her compositions are abstract, largely independent figurative work and rich in color and abstracted movement.  Her preferred work in studio is in creating large-scale work and uncommon small-scale abstracts in both acrylic and cold wax and oil on deep-profile canvas, panel and aluminum.  

 

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