Testimonials

"I live on a ranch in Southern Alberta, Land of the big sky and wide open spaces. Holly is able to capture the feeling one gets, on a hot summer day when the crops are ready to be harvested and the sun and wind make a haze in the air. Her skies are ones I would recognize not only when I see her art, but also when I go outside and look across the fields. Her art is the kind I would say to my husband, "now THAT is a Holly Dyrland sky!"

LINDA BAXTER / ART IN CANADA

"Holly is a talented, dedicated, and focused personality in the early stages of establishing herself as a successful career artist in the challenging and rewarding field of Canadian landscape painting.

Holly's excellent sense of composition and design, as well as her keen eye and deft brush work, make her paintings immediately recognizable and unique.

I know her to be very committed and engaged in every aspect of developing her technical skills as a painter, and her professional assets in the business of promoting and marketing her art. She has excellent goal setting and time management abilities that I am sure, along with her other attributes, will guarantee her success."

DAVID LANGEVIN / PROFESSIONAL ARTIST / INSTRUCTOR

"I commissioned two pieces from Holly Dyrland to go in our newly renovated front room. The dimensions and concept were very specific. She involved me in the process from start to finish, by asking all the right questions about what I was envisioning, to showing us the progress of the pieces, to making subtle changes before the project was completed. Holly's attention to detail and natural ability to put her vision to canvas are incredible. We currently hang five of Holly's paintings in our home and I am still, continually, interested in what is coming out of her studio."

JARED VIKSE / PRIVATE COLLECTOR

Holly Dyrland's artwork consistently causes the breath to catch in my chest. Holly has the ability to paint peace, to capture stillness, and create tranquility which honestly captivates me. I have found myself sitting, staring at her piece "The Open Road," which sits proudly on my fireplace mantle, and I lose track of time. As the light of the day changes I witness the mood of the artwork morph from gentle softness to vibrant anticipation, it comes to life right before my eyes. Holly paints with freedom and fluency, making her work appear effortless, as though she were wielding a magic wand rather than a paint brush. Yet, as a close friend, I can attest to the effort she puts into her work. Holly is dedicated, determined, and purposeful in the pursuit of excellence in her artwork. She spends time daily honing her skill and pushing her limits, stretching her gift as far as she can. I believe Holly feels a great and good responsibility to work her talent and share her gift....she pours her very self into her artwork, and for that I am grateful."

JULIE DEBOER / PROFESSIONAL ARTIST

I’m writing a little late but wanted to say thank you so much for the beautiful painting. Imagine my surprise when I found out what lengths the Velvet team went to in order to arrange this amazing surprise for my retirement party! And the fact that you’d kept my pictures made it easy for them to know that I would love it. I showed it to my son this past weekend and he recognized it right away as a hike we went on together a couple of years ago; to me that’s a lovely comment on your abilities as an artist because it has captured the picture perfectly. All the best Holly. I move at the end of this month to Ontario to start the next chapter of my life and am very much looking forward to it but when I look at all of my paintings in my new home, it will bring back many fond memories of travels throughout western Canada. And that’s because of you!

CHERYL KENDALL / PRIVATE COLLECTOR

The pieces of art I have collected of Holly Dyrland's have a remarkable presence in our home. With each of her paintings there is subtle boldness that beckons one's eye to turn toward it and admire it's beauty. It is evident through her work that Holly paints with devotion and passion and with each stroke of her brush she creates a personal masterpiece for an owner. Her work displayed in our house is a continual conversation piece, as many are blown away by her ability to capture local scenery with elegance and accuracy. Each of her paintings are a true depiction of talent and artistry that is unique and rare to find.

ZOE REITSMA / PRIVATE COLLECTOR

Gazing at a landscape that Holly Dyrland has done is both like coming home and being on a fantastic adventure. There is something incredibly comforting to me in the scenes, colors, and brush strokes and yet I feel I want to explore what could possibly be behind the tree or around the bend or in the shadow or beyond the hill. I know the paths I would take and the places that I would lay down and watch the clouds travel by."

CANDICE VIKSE / PRIVATE COLLECTOR

"I wanted to say thank you so much for the beautiful painting. Imagine my surprise when I found out what lengths the Velvet team went to in order to arrange this amazing surprise for my retirement party! And the fact that you’d kept my pictures made it easy for them to know that I would love it.
I showed it to my son this past weekend and he recognized it right away as a hike we went on together a couple of years ago; to me that’s a lovely comment on your abilities as an artist because it has captured the picture perfectly.
All the best Holly. I move at the end of this month to Ontario to start the next chapter of my life and am very much looking forward to it but when I look at all of my paintings in my new home, it will bring back many fond memories of travels throughout western Canada. And that's because of you!"