Australian-born von Holdt trained at the National School of Art in Sydney, Australia. She moved with her family—husband and three sons—to the U.S. ten years ago. Here, she found herself feeling a deep affinity for the landscape of New England. Her art captures landscapes and light in a way that’s hard to describe. Her ethereal abstract style utilizes old world methods -- plaster and canvas, oil and encaustics -- to achieve a look of burnished stone. Subjects include rural barns and roadsides, coastlines, and modern still lifes.
von Holdt worked professionally as an analytical illustrator for many years. Her fine art reflects a move toward simplicity. She jokes about her poor eyesight, which she credits for her ability to focus on mood and light without getting mired in unnecessary details.
