Peter B. Holden

Restrictions explores the identities and fears that keep us from living freely. Wire binds the figures, while a carnivorous plant suggests the cost of remaining trapped. Yet hope persists: the tulip breaking through cold ground signals renewal, and the removal of blindfolds and restraints offers a path toward happiness.

The curved canvas brings movement into the structure of Restrictions. Holden makes his own frames, allowing the support and painted surface to become part of the artwork. This approach also appears in New York Day and Night.

Detail of Restrictions: molded electrical wire surrounds the figures, making emotional restraint a physical part of the painting.

First Love captures the tenderness of a first encounter. Two figures reach toward one another, their tentative gestures expressing affection and the possibility of connection. Painted on the reverse of the canvas, the work gains a distinctive surface texture.

Crossroads — $350. 

A crowd moves in one direction until one person turns back. This work considers the courage to question the path we follow and choose a direction of our own.

Mother & Child Sleeping — Sold. 

After a time of fear, a mother and child find safety in one another. The child rests against the mother, whose quiet pose conveys protection, trust, and peace.

Tears for Brooklyn imagines a city washed by the tears of a heavenly presence. A waterfall flows between the buildings, its vivid colors suggesting cleansing, hope, and renewal. The curved canvas lends movement to this vision of a city transformed.

New York Day and Night 

“New York Never Sleeps”

Peter B. Holden | Acrylic on canvas with three-dimensional elements | 34 × 34 inches.

Here, the canvas becomes part of the story. Its sculptural form creates depth and movement, reflecting the restless energy of the city and Holden’s exploration of painting beyond a flat surface.

Tango — $750. 

Bright colors move around one another in a lively visual dance. The canvas extends beyond the frame, bringing the work’s rhythm into its physical form.

Frog, Pegasus & Dark City. 

Together three acrylic paintings conceived as a collection and sold as a set. The two larger works each measure 37.5 × 37.5 inches; Dark City measures 35 × 35 inches. Explore the individual images for a closer view of each painting.

The Garden — Two Paintings, $400 for the pair. 

This abstract garden unfolds behind a fence, bringing the forms of flowers and the structure of an enclosure into conversation.

Detail of The Garden: flowers emerge behind the fence, offering a closer view of the work’s abstract forms.

Beginning of Life — $6,000. 

This large painting imagines the place before birth, where all people are equal and await the beginning of their lives. It reflects on our shared origins and the possibilities ahead.

Doodle — Sold. 

A small ink drawing measuring 6 × 4 inches. Listed price: $150.

Division uses stone, wood, and acrylic to reflect on the barriers between people. A movable lever passes between inscribed posts, expressing the hope that those divisions may one day disappear. Red paint within the stone represents blood that need not be spilled—a call to accept disagreement without violence.

New York 53 — Sold. 

This painting marks a new chapter in Holden’s life: leaving the Netherlands in search of his own path and finding himself in New York. It connects a personal journey with the city that became part of his story.

Asian Love — $380. 

An ink portrait of a woman wearing earrings, posed before a temple. The image measures 16 × 13.5 inches.

Broken Heart reflects on the pain and vulnerability that connect us through difficult times. Part of a multi-panel work, the painting gives form to the familiar experience of heartbreak. Not for sale.

Mother Earth breathes life into a branching world. A central branch anchors the composition as the figure’s breath becomes a symbol of creation, growth, and the connection between life and nature.

Passageway I & II considers life as a series of routes and decisions. Each road leads toward a different destination, inviting reflection on the paths we choose. Sold as a pair.

Soda Pop is an original acrylic painting on canvas by Peter B. Holden. The work measures 22 × 30.5 inches and is listed at $750.