The Art of Wilnita Holland

The Art of Wilnita Holland - Page Text Content

S: THE ART OF WILNITA HOLLAND

FC: THE ART OF

3: OIL PAINTINGS

4: LOCALES

8: FAYETTEVILLE

11: VACATION

13: SEASONAL

14: FRIENDS AND FAMILY

18: MUSICAL

21: THE DOORS

24: GROUNDS

26: FROM THE GARDEN

28: STILL LIFE

31: RED SHOES

33: DECORATIVE PAINTING

34: BIRD MURALS

36: TROMPE L'OEIL

37: DECOR

41: ABOUT THE ARTIST

42: The words kindness, patience, and grace come easy and often when family and friends remember Wilnita Holland. She was humble and selfless. She never used her intelligence to impress or intimidate. She was a better artist than she would ever admit. She was often a center of affection without demanding the center of attention. She was born in Greenland, Arkansas on July 2, 1937 into the Mayes family including father Stanley, mother Josephine, and sister Martha. She graduated from Fayetteville High School in 1955. That year she met Dale Holland of Savoy, AR. She received a degree in education from the University of Arkansas, and shortly thereafter Dale's military career drew the couple to Santa Rosa, CA where they were married in 1959. Wilnita and Dale settled down in Fayetteville, AR. Wilnita started teaching elementary school in the public school system, and they had three children: Greg, Jason and Zach. Later in life Wilnita found time to return to her artistic pursuits. She honed her painting skills, and with a few close friends she opened "The Gallery" on Dickson St. Wilnita specialized in landscape, portrait, and mural painting. In 2008 the Historic Arkansas Museum (Little Rock, AR) held "Varied Visions; the Art of Wilnita Holland", a one woman art exhibit showcasing several of her paintings, and one was chosen for the museum's permanent collection. Wilnita lived a full life. She traveled worldwide. She had careers as an artist, a teacher, a house builder/renovator and a homemaker. She succumbed to a quiet battle with cancer in 2009. She spent her last months in Florida and Arkansas with her husband, children, grandchildren, sister and friends. We were lucky to have her as long as we did. See following pages for a letter written from Wilnita's father, Stanley to Wilnita on her second birthday, and a poem for Wilnita written by family friend, Catherine Womack.