Holz miniatures and drawings at courthouse art gallery

Following a hiatus of some 35 years to raise five children, one nowadays will find artist Nancy Holz in her studio, The Sagging Barn of Wood Sculptures, Miniatures, Arts and Crafts, working full-time on her art. In the last year, Holz started “doodling.” These doodle ink drawings and her quarter-inch miniatures are on display at the Custer County Courthouse Art Gallery, second floor, through December.
A longtime native of South Dakota, Holz can follow her roots to folks on the Mayflower which landed Nov. 21, 1620. Descendants wiggled their way westward and eventually homesteaded near Pukwana.  So, when 10-year-old Holz visited an uncle in the Black Hills it was love at first sight of the landscape.
At age 30 Holz and her husband Dwight purchased a “six acre piece of peace,” virgin land between Hayward and Keystone. They raised their children in this place of tranquility, which was assuredly filled with much laughter as well.  Holz has an infectious laugh that is contagious. Yet, on this acreage, Holz is still firmly rooted in her favorite space, the trees of the Black Hills.
“There is such peace among the pines,” she said.
It was Holz’s artist mother who instilled in her an enjoyment of art.
“I have been creating all my life,” she said.
She continued her art education with a science teacher who also taught art in high school. In addition, she received an art scholarship to Black Hills Teacher’s College (Black Hills State University).
“I also learned a great deal watching Mrs. Tollefson on television,” she said.
Professor Diana Tollefson taught art at the Black Hills Teacher’s College and was host of the South Dakota Public Broadcasting ’60s and ’90s television programs, “Draw with Me” and “Just Imagine.”
While her children attended the Hermosa School Holz’s days were spent volunteering her creative talents. She worked with the music teacher Judy Hansen to design sets and backdrops for the school productions.
For example, one stage set was an entire ship encompassing the school stage. For another production carpet rolls formed tree trunks draped with enormous leaves, complete with colorful parrots for a jungle scene. In addition, she designed a massive paper mâché giant’s head for “Jack and the Bean Stalk” show. Materials for the sets were predominately paper, cardboard and paint.
You will find her at the church fall festivals and Hermosa School events with long lines of children and young adults eagerly waiting for her popular entire face paintings. Among the exquisitely detailed Halloween costumes for her children were the iconic Grut and Swamp Thing. Her creative juices never had a chance to dry up.
The media of choice in her studio has varied over the years to include wood sculptures, miniatures and ink drawings.
It is from the Divine’s creation that she draws her inspiration.
“I love nature and I look at nature and do,” she said. “What I see I do!” In the ’70s, she designed pieces with objects found along her many walks through their acreage.
“I have taken old, oddly-shaped barn wood upon which I created miniature scenes from a variety of objects,” she said.
A piece of string, a twig, lichen, nests, feathers, moss, pebbles and more would become a wonderland scene that fascinates the viewer.
“These pieces were irresistible to tiny hands that wanted to touch,” she said.
She was told by a woodcarver she needed a woodmark, “I included the Cross of Christ in my woodmark, as I give God credit for my talents.”
It was the dollhouse of a great aunt that drew her to refine the miniature in her life.  Following the birth of her third child in the ’80s, she became involved with a Rapid City group designing and doing small projects.
“I ended up doing all the work and eventually was teaching the class and doing bigger projects,” she said.
She created half-inch scale pieces and built kits for purchase. She also provided classes in which she demonstrated the assembling procedure.
“I’m pretty cheap on the kits, such as a clay pot with big leaves will cost four dollars,” she said.
However, some complete greenhouse kits can be priced over $300.
Holz was also involved in a Miniatures Club in Rapid City and participated in the Rapid City Parade of Trees ornaments show.
“Some of the tree themes were snowmen, gingerbread, candy land, and nature land. I always won the tree award,” she said.
She became intrigued by quarter-inch constructions when she saw pixie size pies.
“The mind has to shift gears, but now my mind works in quarter-inch,” she said.
The six quarter-inch miniatures in the show include a bakery, candy shop, wine tasting cellar, post-birthday party, camping scene and a garden with a greenhouse.
Holz wants those enjoying the creations to look for the details, for that is what miniatures are all about, dozens of miniscule details.
“Be sure and look for the tiny fish in the garden ponds, the pop cans with the camper, and the wine bottles in the wine cellar,” she said.
Many pieces of the seven-inch by five-inch greenhouse are hand-cut, including over two hundred leaves.
“Stems and vines are stripped Christmas tree lights wire with the plastic stripped to the copper wire and then the wire is wrapped in floral tape,” she said.
The tiny fish are made with femo clay. Holz has provided descriptions for each of the miniatures in the show.
The Holz miniature factory came to a halt while preparing for the 2019 Miniatures Show in Denver. She received a diagnosis of cancer.
“When told I had cancer, I prayed and I felt this peace from my head and out through my feet, permeating peace,” she said “And that peace has remained.”
Unfortunately, the cancer treatment resulted in neuropathy which limited her mobility but not her spirit. Progressing from a wheelchair to a walker to a cane, she has resumed her daily nature walks to appreciate her art and relationships.
When asked about the 31 drawings in her exhibition, she explained, “The ink illustrations emerge as I start to do the circles and begin to see something in the design that I elaborate.  It all begins with doodling.”
She likened the process of creating circle patterns to pixelated images. A few illustrations were created intentionally, such as Three Guys Walking, The Fish, and The Jungle.
“I began with a picture in my head with those three,” she said. She encourages artists “to see what emerges and how people respond to what is happening. A goal is to inspire others.”
She has recently been exploring acrylic painting with the Minneluzahan Senior Citizens Art Group in Rapid City. Realism is her preferred style, and it is nature she replicates.
“It is so nice to be around other artists who understand the painting process,” she said. “They appreciate that a painting begins with the background and is built forward.”
The exhibition is endorsed by the Custer Area Arts Council. Holz’s pieces will be displayed at Custer County Courthouse Art Gallery, second floor, through December.   And Holz will be found in her studio or ambulating through that “piece of peace” acreage she calls home.