When Erik Holland paints, he hopes to record the scenery of which the West is known: snow-capped peaks, colorful towns, and vast valleys encircled by thick tufts of cloud.
“I paint Nevada and beyond because I love the wide open spaces of the West. When the sky is at its finest, or the warm afternoon sun gilds the sagebrush hills with light, I am very happy,” he said.
Holland, who visits much of the state for his work, is showcasing a series of miniature pieces reflecting the Great Basin.
“It’s taken me a lifetime to realize that size doesn’t matter,” Holland said, referring to his “minis.” “It’s the artwork that matters.”
The show will be hosted at the Nevada Press Association, housed in the Rinckel Mansion, 102 N. Curry St., where he had a show in February.
Viewers can expect to see pen and ink and watercolors, both mediums that Holland loves but hasn’t exhibited until now.
The artist’s background includes an education at the Art Students League of New York, the Chicago Academy of Fine Art, and the Academy of Art College in San Francisco.
He lives and works in his loft in the old Riverside Hotel in downtown Reno. He has taught workshops at St. Mary’s Art Center in Virginia City over the past eight years, with shows at the Nevada Historical Society and in galleries in Oregon and California.
Holland is represented by Ryrie’s and Me and La Terre Verte in Reno and Carson City Art Gallery in Carson City and Duncan Little Creek in Elko.
The show will open with a reception to meet the artist from 1 to 6 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.
The art will hang through the end of the month and can be seen during business hours.