HOLLY GESSLER

Holly Gessler crayoned her first mural on the wall behind her mother's couch when she was three years old, and she has been creating art ever since. Today this native of Pittsburgh is an established artist whose work encompasses a wide range of media.

Holly's classical training was acquired through studying old world master techniques with renowned Pittsburgh artists James Sulkowski, Philip Salvato and Bob Daley. Additionally, she attended Allegheny County Community College and the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. She has likewise attended numerous and diverse workshops on watercolor, sculpting, mold making, body casting, iconography, life drawing and writing.

After working with a traditional approach for over a decade, Ms. Gessler found realism somewhat limiting and began experimenting with abstraction and impressionism as a means of expression. Within this arena she is largely self-taught, drawing her inspiration from her visions of the world and expressed through the entire spectrum of color and emotion.

Ms. Gessler's credentials opened opportunities within the filmmaking industry, beginning with a local independent production entitled "The Journey", where she created set designs as assistant art director. A second film, "Inspector Gadget" features work in specialty props. This work inspired her to paint on another type of canvas...film. Holly partnered with Bernard Wodzinski and Tim Lohle, co-writing and producing an independent film entitled "With Abandon".