TIM HOLDEN
Biography
Cowboys, horses and the occasional comic book hero were among some of Tim Holden’s earliest subjects as a young artist. As a little boy, Tim watched his father, artist and sculptor H.T. Holden, create artwork about Western life and spent hours poring over his dad’s extensive collection of art books. In that studio in northwestern Oklahoma, Tim was introduced to artists such as C.M. Russell, Frederic Remington, N.C. Wyeth and Harold Von Schmidt. His own penchant for art developed as he practiced drawing his favorite Marvel comic book characters and worked his way through the Famous Artists Course books, created by illustrators of the golden age.
Initially, though, he charted a career path as a graphic designer, after graduating in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree in graphic art. He spent several years as a designer and editorial cartoonist for the Tulsa World, a daily newspaper in Oklahoma. In 1999, Tim took his love of art to Africa, where he worked as an illustrator for Wycliffe Bible Translators. There, he spent a year traveling the country of Kenya, creating artwork for literacy materials and training national artists.
Currently, Tim works as an artist and freelance illustrator in Waco, Texas, where he lives with his wife, Allison. His client list includes Southern Living Magazine, Thomas Nelson Publishing, Northwestern Publishing, Curves International, Fat Caddy Records and Baylor University. Taking his cues from illustrators of the 1930s and 1940s –– including Tom Lovell, Haddon Sundblom and Saul Tepper –– Tim seeks to evoke emotions through draftsmanship, expressionistic brushwork and use of color.
Since pursuing fine art full time in 2004, Tim has garnered merit awards at nationally juried shows such as the Salon International in San Antonio, Texas; Bosque Conservatory Art Classic in Clifton, Texas; and Art Splash on the Square in Graham, Texas.
art and illustration