Frederick Holley Memorial

God says

2009-11-24T10:20:00.000-08:00

God says for me to tell You This:

nothing needs fixing;
everything desires
a Celebration.

—Em Claire, from “Shine”

Also sad about Al

2009-04-16T21:09:00.000-07:00

Sorry to hear about Al.

Some of Fredricks later works

2009-03-07T06:43:00.001-08:00

Some of Frederick's Works

2009-02-26T12:40:00.001-08:00

A portrait of The Grand Duke Walt Torrance

Some of the citizens of the Kingdom of Edna....
Upper Left: Walt Torrance
Upper Middle Right: Frederick
Please comment if you know who any of the other folks are.

Bust of Frederick

2009-02-26T12:26:00.000-08:00

This bust was created by Ursula Hanes, known amongst her Edna friends as Tibi. Frederick called her the Grand Duchess. Sadly now, the sculpture is weathered and worn, but it's still an incredibly beautiful work and it truly captures a piece of Frederick's soul.

Frederick Plays Guitar and Sings

2009-02-26T12:02:00.000-08:00

In the early 80's, Frederick came to our house for a party. As everyone was gathered around the table socializing, someone starting passing a guitar around. It led to some wonderful impromptu performances. Someone's boombox was nearby, so I popped in a cassette and started recording.

Here's Frederick playing his original composition entitled "Edna Rain."

Here's Frederick playing "Black Magic" which was written in 1942 by Harold Arlen, with the lyrics by Johnny Mercer.

If you would like to download these songs as MP3 files to your computer, right click on the links below and choose the appropriate option in your browser. If you're using Internet Explorer use "Save Target As..." If you're using Firefox use "Save Link As..."
Edna Rain
Black Magic

A Beautiful Muse

2009-01-16T15:44:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of Frederic and one of his many muses. I don't know who she is or when it was taken; but if anyone knows who she is leave a message in the comments. I found this picture hidden in a book of big cats.

Frederick Holley, the man and his many muses

2008-12-22T13:54:00.000-08:00

I was blessed to have known Frederick Holley and so very sorry that he has been taken from the world. The portrait is one Frederick painted of me which captured who I am to his usual precise "T". The bottom piece is from Frederick's short lived Vaginal Art exhibit. It's hung in our living room for years and will stay there forever. Amen.

Patti Pietschmann

#2 Remembering Frederic

2008-12-19T17:38:00.000-08:00

Frederic's History

Frederic’s grandfather was a very talented artist and a common slave in a wealthy household. Because Frederic loved grandfather, he aspired to be a great painter. But Frederic’s father was dead-set against “any son of his” becoming a fine artist.

The day his grandfather died, Frederic quickly ran around the back of his grandfather’s house and reached under the porch to get his grandfather’s paint box and brushes out of it's hiding spot. Right then and there he vowed devotion to the muses and be a slave to his art. He desired only to become the successful artist that his grandfather could never be.

Rivalry in his family was very competitive and thorny. His only brother was an agressive corporate millionaire in Manhattan who also owned several motels in Maui. Frederic's sister was a diva in the Metropolitan Opera. Therefore, Frederic was forever trying to earn the respect of his father ; but, his Bohemian lifestyle was the opposite of what his father approved of. He never understood his father’s distain for his chosen vocation.

He intuitively knew that his art would open up open up the "world in ways he could never dream ...in the positive & rare mysterious areas of life that most people could never imagine".

"To be a true artist," he would tell me "You need a to have a strong sense of adventure and not be fearful of taking off-beat chances, doing off-beat things." He wanted to surround himself with “thinkers, DREAMERS, those with IMAGINATION.

! ICONOCLASTS !

He attend his formal art training at the “Art Students League” www.theartstudentsleague.org in Manhattan on West 57th Street, overlooking South Central Park. He could not afford the rent so he made an opening in the ceiling of the back corner of an unused sculpture studio and made a very workable "cave" in the spacious attic. The Art Students League” has sharpened the skills of many renowned artists such as Georgia O'Keeffe, Jackson Pollock, Robert Rauschenberg, Roy Lichtenstein, and Norman Rockwell.

Frederic stressed: "...that to be an artist you have to be master of many skills, painter, sculptor, a writer, a musician, a showman, a philosopher, historian, scientist, inventor, and mostly to your patrons be a puppet-master ."

“You need to continually, shock, dazzle and amaze.” Frederic's unique brand of magic was a huge part of his early triumphs. “Magic is the positive unexpected”, he'd say.

He idolized Picasso’s artistic & psychological genius: "Picasso is able to mesmerize the art world." Frederic considered him a mentor. If you want to understand how Frederic's thinking in those early years read “Life With Picasso” by Francoise Gilot.

I met the Foreign Minister in the summer of 1981. His “government” at that time was filled with titled nobility and big cats, fast cars and his many “beautiful muses”. Men were awed by him and women were ensnared by his charm. Tea and/or champagne were the only drinks served in has studio. He was a refreshing rolemodel for my young self.

His painting technique could transfix an audience for great lengths of time. Watching him at work was like watching a director of a movie; scenery, props and actors appeared and disappeared continually on his canvases; the viewing angles and perspective constantly altered it's self.

If he needed to contemplate where the painting was taking him; or if a painting started talking; he would pick up his guitar and begin playing some haunting Brazilian Samba.

“To play a Samba without sadness...

is like making love to a beautiful woman

that is empty inside”

.....More to come

The Mystical Magical Kingdom of Edna

2008-12-19T13:46:00.000-08:00

Alas Frederic...aka Foreign Minister:

You will be missed! You wanted to be a myth; but now you are mythic. You took me under your wing in my early 20's when I wanted to be artist; you gave me access to a studio, brushes, canvas, a big pile of oil paints, and a deep respect for the great old masters. You initiated me into Edna’s Royal Family!

You had at the time acquired: Twin Black 1955 Porsche Speedsters, a Red 1955 300SL Gullwing, and Eleanor Roosevelt's 1931 Double Windshield Packard Limo, but your favorite was the 1939 Packard sedan who you lovingly called "The Blue Rose".

Your studio was the Olde Edna Saloon & Dancehall that you made into a multi-roomed ever-changing gossamer labyrinth. The old Colonel still ran the antique store downstairs. The Grand Pasha and his Royal Entourage would come over like clockwork every afternoon and thoroughly blow away everyone .

Later Edna dignitaries would be treated to the most superb garlic infused delectables provided by the Grand Duchess Herself which was paired with the Pasha’s private reserve. Later a decadent dessert would be created by the masterful Mad Londoner who went by the name A.S.H. Kish. It was served with a shot of Italian espresso.

Our conversations were worthy of any Parisian Salon. After several hours of music and wit the brick sauna was hot and we all adjourned to the sky-lit steamer with the moon and stars and good friends.

Back then Edna had no streetlights ,car sounds, trendy wineries, and no bed & breakfasts or weekend tourists. It was only frequented by the Knowing Few and a turnover of various intrepid world travelers!

More to come…..

2008-12-19T12:30:00.001-08:00