Reggie Holliday

Until recently, I was familiar with only two of Reggie Holladay’s paintings: one entitled “Duke 1,” a portrait of Duke Kahanamoka I saw in the Beach Culture gallery, and an understated tropical landscape called “First Light” which went up for auction during February’s tsunami benefit. They struck me as decidedly different than the glut of surf art so prevalent in town, but I could never put my finger on exactly what set his work apart. When Holladay mentioned N.C. Wyeth as an early influence during an interview for this issue, it suddenly all made sense. As a kid, I stared with wonder at Wyeth’s illustrations in my copies of “Treasure Island,” “Kidnapped,” and “Robin Hood,” searching them for subtle details: the dented hilt of a pirate’s cutlass, the frayed sleeve of a shirt, or the spumed edge of a boiling wave. The faint scratches Hollyday paints on Duke’s wooden board and the texture of the palm trunks behind him produce that same effect for me. Like the best photographs, flatness becomes depth and stillness becomes movement in landscapes like “First Light” and “Caribe.” “Waikiki 1925” and other paintings in his “Duke” series are ultimately richer than the photos which inspired them, yet still retain a deep feeling for nostalgia and history. .

The water in his paintings is expertly rendered; the bubbles and ripples, the glittering translucence, but there’s something else flowing through that water - a sense of its great age and eternal youth. Born in Virginia, Holladay moved to Hollywood, FL at a young age and spent his teenage years in the Fort Pierce area, inspired by Wyeth and Mad Magazine to paint and draw avidly throughout high school. After attending the Ft. Lauderdale Art Institute, The Ft. Lauderdale News “took a chance on him” and hired him as an illustrator, preparing him for a later stint at the Miami Herald. Encouraged by the freedom weekend freelance work afforded, Holladay struck out on his own, a decision he’s never regretted. Now a full time graphic artist, Holladay relishes taking his time on a piece, dropping the brush when he’s completely satisfied and unbeholden to the demands of an art director. He weathered the changes computers brought to the graphic arts industry through the ‘90’s and still works traditionally, illustrating children’s books and producing original works from his home in Satellite Beach. Stop by Beach Culture Gallery (next to Da Kine Diego’s), 214 N. First Street in Cocoa Beach (321) 684-0720, or visit www.surfart.com to view his works.