Softening Haze

Original Painting from  Veil-Feilds Series by Hollie O'Neill

Dimensions: 200 x 300mm 

Medium: Pigment on Framed Canvas, UV Archival Varnish

Veil-Fields continues my exploration of colour and light, moving from the reflective surfaces of Solar Seduction and Solar Verticals to the absorbent intimacy of cotton canvas. Here, colour is no longer reflected from the surface but soaks, merges and breathes within the fabric. Inspired by the environment I live in and my constant awe of the natural beauty of the New Zealand landscape, I’m drawn to the fleeting glow of light across the sky—the radiance of sunrise, sunlight glare and the lingering hues of twilight afterglow. I bring these experiences into the studio, intuitively translating their atmosphere through colour. Using a soak-stain approach, I build translucent layers of diluted pigment, balancing intention with intuition as colour flows across the cotton. In person, these original abstract paintings reveal subtle shifts in colour, depth and light that photographs cannot fully capture, inviting slow looking and repeated discovery.

About the Artist

Waikato-based artist Hollie O’Neill creates luminous contemporary works that transform our experience of light, colour and space.

A full-time artist since 2002, O’Neill works across painting, sculpture and light-based mixed media, using materials including epoxy, pigment, mirrored glass, aluminium and canvas. Her practice begins with time spent in nature—the shifting light, atmosphere and colour of Aotearoa New Zealand’s landscapes, and the feelings and sensations these experiences evoke. Rather than directly depicting what she sees, O’Neill carries these experiences back into the studio, using colour as a vehicle to intuitively translate memory, emotion and perception into form.

Please note: The in-situ image is for illustrative purposes only and not to scale. Refer to the measurements above for accurate dimensions.