We are officially in summer and I have lots of work to do. Deadlines have kept me in my studio, nose to the easel and developing cyanotypes on these sunny days.

SAVE THE DATE

for my solo show

To Feast on Clouds

Sullivan Goss Gallery, Santa Barbara

JULY 28TH THROUGH SEPTEMBER 25TH

1st Thursday reception August 3rd

Get to see the work first and claim your piece before the show opens!

Sneak preview sign up here.

Many of you know exactly what piece you want so PLEASE be sure to sign up.

First come, first serve basis!

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If you have visited the studio in the past year, you have witnessed the massing collection of cloudscapes and perhaps you  flipped through my sketchbooks from the White Buffalo Land Trust residency. The day of the big reveal is almost here. The culmination of all my efforts will soon be on the wall at Sullivan Goss in Santa Barbara.

“59. November is National Cloud month”, oil on silver, 15x 22.5”

This is the biggest piece in the collection. Each piece is named after a line from the poem, 89 Clouds by Mark Strand.

This collection of cloudscapes encourage conversations about water, whether there is drought or flood and its impact on our survival. Many of the cloudscapes are painted on silverware, a substrate with a history of food service. Reimagined as a cloudscape painting, these pieces remind us that water is essential for growing the food we consume.

“25. A cloud with out you is only a clod”, oil on glass, 2.5 x 2.5 “

This is the smallest piece in the collection

The Farmer’s Almanac Series, ready to get framed for the show!

This series is shaped by my time as resident artist on the White Buffalo Land Trust's Jalama Canyon Ranch. The organization practices and fosters regenerative farming methods, many of which can be traced to practices before the advent of corporate farming. 

The gouache vignettes are painted on 1866 Farmer's Almanac pages that were reproduced on water color paper. The almanac page floats on top of a cyanotype with botanicals sourced from the ranch and photographs that appear to be from another time.

I look forward to seeing you at my opening,

With gratitude,

Holli Harmon

I am so excited about what I am learning at White Buffalo Land Trust's Center for Regenerative Agriculture at Jalama Canyon Ranch during my artist residency. Be sure to visit their website and learn more. I will share bite size bits of information, as I have new experiences.

Cattle Round Up, Jalama Canyon Ranch Sketch Book, gouache by Holli Harmon

Recently, I learned about revitalizing our pasture land with responsible grazing methods. I saw Jalama Canyon ranch in action during a cattle round up with one of the White Buffalo partners, Richards Grassfed Beef. The cows were brought to graze the pastures over winter for just enough time to eat the tops of the grasses, leave a little fertilizer, and then move on. With a watchful eye and management, the cows become partners in regenerating the soil to hold more water and carbon. This method heals the pastures and riparian zones from over grazing. It’s actually thrilling to see a regenerative circle that includes land, animals, and humans that heals our planet.

“It’s not the cow, it’s the HOW...”

— Bobby Gill - Savory Institute

Regenerative farming is one of the best ways we can heal the earth and slow global warming. This concept gives me a lot of hope. Two short documentaries that are both beautiful and educational are Kiss the Ground on Netflix and Biggest Little Farm on Amazon Prime.

I hope you enjoy the journey and follow along. And share the message with your friends and family. We all can be part of the solution!

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