Chris Holland GRA
Chris was born in Wigan in 1946 and currently resides in the town. He had an ability to paint from a very early age and became interested in railways during the 1950's. The natural result were many paintings of steam locomotives being produced whilst he was at school. After leaving school the painting ceased until 1976 when more work was produced, culminating in sales and exhibitions. He is completely self taught and has worked mainly in oils, acrylics and gouache. Most notable dates for Chris were in 1979 and 1983 when works were accepted at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in London. He appeared on Granada TV's 'Granada Reports' and also on the BBC TV 'Newsnight' as a result of the RA exhibitions. During this period he also exhibited at the Manchester Academy.
During the 1990's Chris produced some Lake District landscapes (as well as his locomotives) in a photo-realistic style which he has now perfected. Working mainly in gouache, his paintings display a depth and integrity rarely found in watercolours. His fine draughtsmanship skills, attention to detail and ability to capture the lifelike realism of the subject combine to make his work much sought after. Examples are in a growing number of collections.
In 2000 Chris became an Associate Member of the Guild of Railway Artists, and has exhibited work at most 'Railart' exhibitions since that time. He was elected to Full membership in 2004
