Born in Tacoma and now living and working in Seattle, Fred Holcomb has spent decades exploring the intersection of observation, memory, and landscape through painting. He earned his Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Washington in 1972 before working professionally as an architect for nearly three decades. Around 2000, Holcomb shifted his focus fully to painting, later earning a Master of Fine Arts in Painting from The University of the Arts in 2006. His architectural background continues to influence the structure, composition, and atmospheric depth found throughout his work. Over the past 25 years, Holcomb has exhibited extensively throughout the Pacific Northwest, with numerous solo exhibitions at prominent galleries including Linda Hodges Gallery, Lawrence Gallery, and Solomon Fine Art. His exhibitions often explore themes of landscape, environment, and human interaction with place, seen in bodies of work such as the “I-90 Project,” “Beachscapes,” and “A Beautiful Day in Paradise.” Holcomb has also participated in numerous group exhibitions throughout Washington and Oregon, including exhibitions at the Seattle Art Museum, Central Washington University, and the Southern Utah Museum of Art. Holcomb’s paintings are included in many significant public and private collections across the Northwest, including the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Weyerhaeuser, Oregon Health and Science University, Swedish Medical Center, Microsoft, and the City of Seattle. Through layered surfaces and carefully observed compositions, Holcomb’s work invites viewers into quiet moments of reflection shaped by both the natural and built environments of the Pacific Northwest.