Fred Holle

Holle considers drawing to be the foundation of all his work and constantly draws from models, partly for the great pleasure it affords but primarily to maintain perceptual sensitivity and to obtain fresh data to fill a reservoir of images that may be tapped, when needed, for his paintings and prints.[2] Alfred Frankenstein writes: "He is a remarkable figure draftsman, with something of the fire and freedom of young Rico Lebrun in his sketches...[3] In the late 1950s, when he was working at the La Jolla Art Center, he created paintings and woodcuts in the style of Abstract Expressionism.[4] He was among the most respected artists belonging to the core of the contemporary painters working in Southern California.[5] Around 1964, Holle made a transition to figurative art starting with a series of figural paintings and gesture drawings called "Steppenwolf". After that, the GNOMEGAME Series of paintings and digital prints (created through the freehand use of a Wacom pad and Stylus on the computer) became Holle's lifelong "vehicles" of expression.

Fred Holle studied Fine Art at the following Art Schools and Colleges:[6]

• Layton School of Art, Milwaukee, WI.
• Arizona State College, Tempe, AZ. 1950-1952

(Served in USN Hospital Corps. 1952-1956)

• San Diego State College, San Diego, CA. 1956-1958, B.A.
• San Diego State College, San Diego, CA. 1958-1960, M.A.

These are some of the awards conferred on Fred Holle for his artwork.[1]

• Lifelines,’93 5th annual National Drawing Competition, Mendocino, CA: 1993 (award) (Juror: Kenneth Baker, Art Critic, San Francisco Chronicle.)
• 2012 Delta National Small Print Exhibition, Bradbury Gallery, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, Ark., (Juror's Merit Award), Juror: Roberta Waddell, Curator of Prints Emerita, The New York Public Library, New York, NY

• IN THE ABSTRACT: MID-CENTURY SAN DIEGO PAINTING AND SCULPTURE, Oceanside Museum of Art, Oceanside,CA August15 - November 1, 2015
• 100 ARTISTS-100 YEARS: The San Diego Museum of Art Artists Guild, 1915-2015 at THE OCEANSIDE MUSEUM OF ART, Oceanside, CA, April 13-July 26, 2015
• PUSH AND PULL, The Los Angeles Printmaking Society's Membership Exhibition, The City of Brea Art Gallery, Brea, CA: 2014
• The Arts Visalia North American Print and Drawing Exhibition, Visalia, CA: 2014
• LEFT COAST ANNUAL Juried Exhibition, Sanchez Art Center, Pacifica, CA: 2014
• SPRING AWAKENING, Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, CA: 2014 (First Award)
• 29th Annual "MADE IN CALIFORNIA" Juried Show", The city of Brea, CA Fine Arts Gallery: 2014
• "ABSTRACTIONS", Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, CA: 2014
• The Art of NO, juried exhibition, Diablo Valley College Art Callery, Pleasant Hill, CA 2013
• FIGURES AND FACES, juried exhibition, Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, CA (Award) 2013
• 52nd Annual International Exhibition, San Diego Art Institute, San Diego, CA: 2013
• MADE IN CALIFORNIA Juried Exhibition, The City of Brea Art Gallery, Brea, CA: 2013
• Delta National Small Print Exhibition, Bradbury Gallery, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, Arkansas: 2012 (Juror’s Merit Award)
• Juror: Roberta Waddell, Curator Emerita, The New York Public Library, New York, NY
• Stones Throw LAPS Exchange Show, Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop, New York, NY: 2011
• The 2011 LAPS Membership Exhibition, City of Brea Art Gallery, Brea, CA
• Art and Labor, Expressions Gallery, Berkeley, CA: 2010
• Delta National Small Print Exhibition, Bradbury Gallery, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro,Arkansas: 2009-1010
• Juror: David W. Kiehl, Chief Curator, Whitney Museum of Art, New York, NY
• 2009 Statewide Drawing & Print Competition and Exhibition, Triton Museum of Art, Santa Clara, CA: 2009-2010
• Bay Area Annual Juried Exhibition, Sanchez Art Center, Pacifica, CA: 2009
• Juror: JoAnne Northrup, Chief Curator of the San Jose Museum of Art
• Los Angeles Printmaking Society, 20th National Exhibition, Los Angeles
• Municipal Gallery, Los Angeles, CA: 2009 Juror: Peter Frank, Senior Curator, Riverside Museum, Riverside, CA
• Ink & Clay 35, Kellogg University Art Gallery, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA 2009
• Boston Printmakers, North American Biennial, 808 Gallery, Boston University, Boston, MA: 2009
• Los Angeles Printmaking Society, “Identity”, Craft and Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles, CA: 2008-09
• Los Angeles Printmaking Society, “Stones Throw”. LA Artcore Brewery Annex, Los Angeles, CA: 2008
• Ink & Clay 34, Kellogg University Art Gallery, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA 2008
• Ink & Clay 33, Kellogg University Art Gallery, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA 2007
• Los Angeles Printmaking Society Exchange Exhibition, Belfast, Northern Ireland: 2006
• Brand Galleries National, “Conflict”, Glendale, CA: 2006
• Ink & Clay 31, Kellogg University Art Gallery, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA: 2005

Holle taught Visual Arts for more than 30 years at the following art schools and colleges:

• School of Arts, Art Center in La Jolla, 1958 -1964
• College of San Mateo, San Mateo, CA 1965 –1968 (part-time)
• Cañada College, Redwood City, CA 1968 till 1988 (retirement)

Holle is Professor emeritus of the Art Department, Cañada College, Redwood City, California. He is also a contributor of demonstration drawings and consultant on "Serious Drawing - A Basic Manual" by Casey FitzSimons, Prentis-Hall Inc.: 1989 [1]

In his capacity as a studio art teacher for 30 years, Holle is the author of "Classical Life Drawing with Fred Holle M.A." - five video instruction tapes VHS/DVD's for the Artist-in-Residence® Series, HW Productions, Burlingame, CA: 1988 [1]