Tonya Henderson Rollyson Fine Art

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Biography

I attended the Colorado Institute of Art in Denver Colorado and received an Associates Degree of Occupational Studies in Visual Communications. My career began with WJRT-TV 12 in Flint, Michigan in on air graphics, set design, and print media. I have worked for advertising agencies, design studios, and marketing firms as a graphic designer, illustrator and writer/editor of print media.

I focused on fine art in the early nineties when I moved to West Virginia. My first solo exhibit was held in Bluefield, WV. At that time I was exhibiting in art shows from Pennsylvania to Florida. With a move to Michigan in the mid-nineties I began to teach an after school art program while continuing to exhibit my work. The past twelve years have been dedicated to acrylic and mixed media paintings.

Juried, Invitational, & Selected Exhibitions
2011 - Hats Off to the Arts Benifit, Humane Animal Treatment Society, Central MI University
2011 - Solo Exhibition, ArtReach Gallery, Mt. Pleasant MI
2010 – Flint Institute Of Arts Sales & Rental Gallery Artist of the Month, Flint, MI
2010 – Graffia Gallery 'Landscaped' Exhibition, Sping Lake, MI
2009 – City of Sterling Heights Cultural Commision, Sterling Heights, MI
2009 – Agora Gallery, New York, NY
2008 – Shiawassee Arts Center Exhibition at Curwood Castle, February, Owosso MI
2005 – Frogs Fur Fun painted sculpture project, Gross Point, MI.
2004 – 40x40 Exhibition, W/“Menopause the Musical” presented by: Gem & Century Theaters, Detroit, MI.
2008 - 2001, 1999 – Art In Public Places Juried Exhibition, Saginaw Township Building, Saginaw MI
2002, 2001, 2000 – Christian Art Show Juried Exhibition, East Lansing, MI
2001 – One Person Exhibition, Lending Circle Exhibition Space, United Way Building, Flint, MI
2000 – The Aldrich Society Invitational, Rye Bakery, Flushing, MI
2000 – Swing Time, The FanClub Foundation-Fisher Building, Detroit MI
2000 – Our Town, Juried Exhibition, The Community House, Birmingham, MI
2000 – All Media Competition, Juried Exhibition, Shiawassee Arts Council, Owosso, MI
1999 – Multi Media, Group Exhibition, ArtReach of Mid Michigan, Mt. Pleasant, MI
1999-1998 – Visions Of Spirit, Group Exhibition, Left Bank Gallery, Flint, MI & Corning, NY
1998 – Two Person Exhibit, Greater Flint Arts Council, Flint MI
1997 – Sixteenth Annual All Media Competition, Juried Exhibition, Left Bank Gallery, Flint, MI
1995 – Winter Invitational, Three Rivers Arts Council, Pittsburgh, PA
1995 – One Person Exhibition, Paine Gallery, Bluefield, WV
1994 – Artist of the month, The Back corner Gallery, Tazewell, VA
1986 – Two Person Exhibit, Colorado National Bank, Denver, CO

Selected Awards and Prizes
2009 – PAN Poetry & Art Night, VFAA PAN Poetry Award II, Milford Public Library, Milford, MI
2002 – Who’s Who in American Women, 23rd addition
1994 – Appalachian Artist Association Membership Exhibition, The Paine Gallery, Bluefield, WV
Fourth Place, Watercolor
1993 – Appalachian Artist Association Membership Exhibition, The Paine Gallery, Bluefield, WV
Second Place, Mixed Media / Honorable Mention, Watercolor
1992 – PRAise Award of Distinction, Public Relations Association Greater Flint, Flint, MI
1992 – PRAise Awards of Citation, Public Relations Association Greater Flint, Flint, MI
1989 – Addy Award of Merit, Advertising Federation of Saginaw Valley, Saginaw, MI
1986 – Illustrators Annual Competition, Colorado Institute of Art, Denver, CO
Selected to Represent the Colorado Institute of Art, Regional Level

Collections
McCann Motors, Bluefield WV
Leora Campbell, Flint MI
Laura Henderson, Oviedo, FL
Heart & Soul Ministries, Austin TX
Other various private collections in West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Florida, Alabama, Colorado, New York, Massachusetts, and throughout Michigan

Affiliations
Shiawassee Arts Council, Owosso, MI
Greater Flint Art Council, Flint, MI
Flint Institute of Art, Art Sales & Rental, Flint, MI

Statement
The desire to paint comes from deep within my soul, I believe that the art and the artist are one. Impressionism, Symbolism and Art Nouveau have heavily influenced my work. I admire the work of artists such as Monet, Manet, Klimt, Renoir, Degas and Chagall. My paintings are an expression of who I am and how I see the world. I have ideas and images that come to mind and emotions that yearn to be expressed. My goal is to let all of this flow out of me and onto the canvas uninhibited, to stay in the moment, and get lost in the work.

The circle is representative of life itself – “The Circle of Life”. Life is God, a perfect circle with no beginning, no ending. I believe that Life/God is energy, energy takes many forms, and it can appear as color, form, movement, vibration or sound. I have been attempting to paint energy or aspects of energy, life, God.

I begin a piece by choosing colors that reflect my current state of being. I may start out with an idea or let it form as I lay out the colors. Once my brush touches the canvas I relax and sink into the creative process allowing the energy of the idea/God to direct the outcome.

I have begun to include my thoughts in written form, into my paintings. Using a mixed media approach, I begin with an under painting of acrylic. I write and draw directly onto this layer, or onto a layer of tissue using a variety of tools, which I adhere to the painting surface. Then I finish with another layer of acrylic paints. I feel as though this allows me to connect more immediately and more deeply to the viewer.