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Holly McCabe

artist_statement.

The images I draw and paint on paper and canvas represent a deep and dramatic look into the essence of humanity,
in all its colors, forms, imperfections and emotions. And yet it is not just about scratching the surface of the face or figure,
or choosing to render the self or a specific individual among the masses, it is about the hidden energy underneath the skin,
the act of digging into the physicality of the person, and like the paintings of Lucien Freud, we let the visceral response take over,
to establish an exaggerated empathy for what we are, and who we are.

Scratches and swirls of color, shade and form are created and connected to everything on the surface, features blend together
to become a face, the face becomes a body, the body and background collide, the viewer is pulled into a world of spectacle
that is created from pieces of other worlds, found objects, people, places and eras. as we go from ancient to classic,
from modern to post-modern, the human condition remains the same. We understand what we are seeing,
but the context is nominal. We see and feel the agony and the ecstasy of existence, because we have no other choice.
The paint is just a means to bring us there.

Drawings from Fall 2006

"self_portrait, fingershadow"

11"x14"
chalk, charcoal on newsprint
2006

"self_portrait, glance I"

9"x12"
oil pastel on paper
2006

self_portrait, glance II

9"x12"
oil pastel on paper
2006

"self_portrait, shadow distort"

11"x14"
color pastel on newsprint
2006

"self_portrait, shadow side"

11"x14"
color pastel on newsprint
2006

"self_portrait, side glance"

11"x14"
charcoal, chalk on newsprint
2006

"self_portrait, slide"

9"x12"
charcoal, pastel on paper
2006

Paintings from Spring 2005

self_portrait, green shadow at window

16"x20"
oil on canvas
2005

"self_portrait, red and black shadow"

24"x30"
oil on canvas
2005

"self_portrait, a glance to the right"

16"x20"
oil on canvas
2005

"self_portrait, shadowed by a red hand"

16"x20"
oil on canvas
2005

"self_portrait, sideview"

16"x20"
oil on canvas
2005

PAINTINGS from Fall 2004

"this is so dull..."

18"x30"
oil on canvas
2004

"before dawn"

"20"x36"
oil on canvas
2004

"wolf cry "

16"x20"
oil on canvas
2004

"self_portrait, horror"

20"x30"
oil on canvas
2004

"self_portrait, shadow I"

SOLD

18"x18"
oil on canvas
2004

"self_portrait, shadow II"

18"x18"
oil on canvas
2004

"self_portrait, side I"

16"x20"
oil on canvas
2004

"self_portrait, side II"

16"x20"
oil on canvas
2004








"self_portrait, side III"

12"x24"
oil on canvas
2004

"self_portrait, side IV"

12"x24"
oil on canvas
2004

"self_portrait, streak"

18"x24"
oil on canvas
2004

PAINTINGS from Summer 2004






"the body II" (Buffy & Dawn)

30"x40"
oil on canvas
2004

"self_portrait, masonite I"

30"x30"
oil on masonite
2004

"self_portrait, masonite II"

30"x30"
oil on masonite
2004

"self_portrait, melting"

30"x40"
oil on canvas
2004

"self_portrait, attrition"

24"x30"
oil on canvas
2004

PAINTINGS from Spring 2004







"the body" (Buffy Shock)

36"x40"
oil on canvas
2004

"seeing red" (Buffy & Spike)

30"x40"
oil on canvas
2004

"kaylee"

18"x24"
oil on canvas
2004

"mal"

12"x24"
oil on canvas board
2004

"i can do this"

24"x36"
oil on canvas
2004

"in latin"

18"x24"
oil on canvas
2004

"don't make me go to sleep again"

24"x36"
oil on canvas
2004

"spike and dru"

24"x36"
oil on canvas
2004

DRAWINGS from Spring 2004

"remote"

24"x30"
chalk, gesso, pencil, collage on paper
2004

"link"

12"x18"
mixed media on tracing paper
2004

"basement"

16"x24"
charcoal, gesso, pencil, collage on paper
2004

"asylum" (Buffy Insane)

20"x28"
pastel, gesso, collage on paper
2004

"duality" (Buffy Stake)

20"x20"
pencil, gesso, collage on paper
2004

"i can do this"

20"x30"
chalk, pencil, gesso on cardboard
2004

"just an object"

20"x30"
color pencil, gesso on cardboard
2004

"waking dream"

12"x18"
charcoal, collage on tracing paper
2004

"melted away"

20"x30"
gesso, charcoal, collage on cardboard
2004

"wake"

12"x18"
charcoal, collage on tracing paper
2004

"untitled"

12"x18"
pencil, collage on tracing paper
2004