About

Welcome.

I am Bas Hollander. I am a Dutch visual artist living in Denver, Colorado. I have dedicated myself to the arts since 2012, following a career in the business world.

Throughout my youth, I always wanted to pursue something involving art, music, or language. Ultimately, I chose to embark on an adventure in England to study German, French, and marketing. During my studies there, I also spent some time living in Alsace, France, and in Berlin, Germany.

After graduating, I remained in England to work, and it was there that I met an American woman whom I married and with whom I have children. We lived in the Netherlands for a few years before moving to Colorado, United States, in 2004.

At the time, I was still working for my father's company, but in 2011, the yearning for a creative career resurfaced. On a flight back from a business trip to Atlanta, I decided to take my career in a new direction.

I took airbrushing lessons from an established airbrush, pinstripe and sign painting artist in Denver, Mel Fox. After some time, I launched my career in the arts. It began with painting commissioned pet portraits and airbrushing various objects—most notably, ice hockey goalie helmets for local players.

As I created more art, I increasingly sought greater creative freedom. At the same time, I was doing a great deal of volunteer work for local schools and the cub scouts. This led me to wanting to share with young people what had always been my favorite subject in school, art. And so, I became a secondary school art teacher in Denver.

This also gave me the opportunity to leave behind commissioned work for clients and focus instead on painting anything that truly inspires me and brings me joy.

I draw that inspiration primarily from my native country, the Netherlands, but also from travel, landscapes, and the human figure. I work with oil paints, acrylics, or watercolors. I also create drawings, usually of nude figures in charcoal.

My paintings inspired by the Netherlands are based on imagery and experiences that have meaning to me. Consequently, the viewer will hopefully gain a new insight—or a different perspective—on a land they may have only heard about or visited while on vacation.

Artists who inspire me are Pierre-Auguste Renoir, for his use of color and light and his paintings of the nude (female) figure, and Berthe Morisot, for her incredible loose brushwork.

I hope you enjoy my art.

Bas