Statement
Painting is my form of meditation. Being out in nature with my easel allows me to paint expressively.
I love that others connect with the vivid colors in my artwork and are inspired to take an art class and enjoy painting.
Biography
Holly’s relationship with art has been her longest one. Starting from the time she was a young girl growing up in the suburbs of Detroit, she learned early on to appreciate handmade craftsmanship from her talented family. Seeing her father’s meticulous work as an automotive upholsterer, and painting whimsical characters while crafting alongside her Aunt Mary, sparked a love for making things herself. That same Aunt influenced her to pursue her passions as she grew, leading Holly to receive a BFA from Eastern Michigan University. Her education granted her access to the high-tech world of the video and television industries as she began her fast-paced career in graphics and design. Holly spent most of her career in the world of digital art, and dreamed up countless crafts and activities in her second career as a mother and wife. Years later, she has been overjoyed to return to the medium that speaks most to her - paints.
To Holly, art is everywhere. Any simple subject may inspire a kaleidoscope on her palette. She considers herself a colorist and leverages her innate sense of hues and values to breathe life into her work. She loves capturing the movement and light of the moment when she paints en plein air, often returning to the same sites time and time again to see them with new lenses. When she isn’t finding a spot to capture the sunset along the Potomac, Holly is on the road or stamping her passport seeking out new landscapes and sources of inspiration.
In the past decade, Holly has shifted focus to creative expression in painting and become part of the art community in the DC Metropolitan area. Holly is a member of the Rockville Art League, Montgomery Art Association and Falls Church Arts. Her travels have also taken her to international sites of inspiration such as Italy, Spain, and Greece through workshops hosted by The Yellow Barn Studio, where she is an active instructor. Holly teaches workshops and classes in color theory, pet portraits, and plein air to help others find what she is always searching for: a spark of beauty and atmosphere awaiting a brush and canvas to capture it. She loves to explore colors in different landscapes, and has enjoyed participating in many plein air events including Ellicott City MD, Easton MD, Carmel-by-the-Sea CA and Taos NM. She has been awarded in many juried shows and plein air events, but mostly appreciates the opportunities to meet so many talented artists from across the globe.
Awards
Faces & Figures - Falls Church Arts Gallery
Juror: Teresa Oaxaca
700-B West Broad St Falls Church VA
April 2025
VIVID! Falls Church Arts Gallery
Juror: Barbara Januszkiewicz
700-B West Broad St Falls Church VA
January 2025
Rockville Art League Winter Show 2025
Glenview Mansion, Rockville MD
"Three Sisters" oil 2nd prize
Juror, Dr Lorena Bradford,
Dept of Learning & Engagement,
Nat'l Gallery of Art in Washington, DC
Art In Bloom at Brookside Gardens
Selected artworks by Pamela Betts and Holly Buehler
Wheaton, MD Aug 12 - Sept 16, 2024
Paint Annapolis 2024, MFA (Maryland Federation of Art)
"Glance from Eastport" public artist Awarded 3rd place
Dueling Brushes Plein Air public artist "Chick & Ruth" Awarded 3rd place
Annapolis MD June, 2024
Paint It! Ellicott City 2024 juried artist
Howard County of the Arts Plein Air Event
"The Outlook" awarded honorable mention
Ellicott City, MD June 2024
31st Annual Carmel Art Festival
Carmel-by-the-Sea Plein Air Painting Competition & Art Sale
Devendorf Park May 17-19, 2024 Carmel-by-the-Sea CA
The Bridge Gallery - Walt Bartman with Goldfinch Studio Painters
May 4 - June 9, 2024
8566 Shepherdstown Pike, Shepherdstown WV
Yellow Barn Studio Instructors Exhibition. Check it out! Popcorn Gallery Hours: Saturdays & Sundays, 12pm - 6pm
Closing Reception: Saturday, April 27, 5pm - 7pm
Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd. Glen Echo, MD
"The Colorists" (Six Maryland fine artists exhibit)
Glenview Mansion Art Gallery at Rockville Civic Center Park
Feb 25 - April 5, 2024
Rockville MD
Waverly Street Gallery Invitational 2024
Bethesda MD
Feb 4- March 2, 2024
Chasing the Winter Light
Exhibit at Windridge Jan 17 - March 10, 2024
Windridge Vineyards Tasting Room
Darnestown MD
Paint the Town Labor Day Show 2023
Kensington Historic Armory, Md.
Honorable Mention "Model Pose"
Plein Air Paint Out September 2023
Paint Annapolis 2023
Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painters Association Award - Public Artist
Art on the Avenue Award - First Place
"Sailing Eastport"
Rockville Art League 2023
Essence of Summer - Award Third Prize
(juror Therese Capal)
"Potomac Haven"
Paint the Town Labor Day Show 2022
Kensington Historic Armory, Md.
“Professor” Honorable Mention (juror Lenny Campello)
September 2022
Glenview Mansion Art Gallery
Rockville Art League Juried Members’ Sunflower Show
“At Rest” Honorable Mention (juror Steve Loya)
July 2022
BWI Airport/Glen Echo Park Faculty Show
https://www.bwiairport.com/at-bwi/places-to-go/art-exhibits
July 2022
"Paint It" Ellicott City, Howard County Arts Council, MD
“Rooftops” Honorable Mention (juror Ron Donoughe)
June 2022
27th Annual Friends of the Yellow Barn Studio Members Show
“Sunflower Time” Honorable Mention (juror David Sharpe)
December 2021
Wren’s Nest
Collaborative Space
group exhibition June 2021
Friends of the Yellow Barn Studio Presents The 26th Annual Members Show
Best in Show “Autumn on the Potomac” (juror Harry Cooper, Head Curator of Modern
& Contemporary Art, National Gallery of Art, Washington DC)
December 2020
Also, Holly was selected this year (2025) as a juried artist to compete in the prestigious Annapolis Plein Air competition. Only 30 or so artists are selected per year for this event.