American veteran painter Jamie Lindholm has entered the qualifying works exhibition of the 7th NTD “World Realistic Oil Painting Competition” in 2025 with a painting titled “Namaste.” She expressed her desire to create realistic works that are so lifelike they seem within reach, showcasing brightness and beauty as her mission to be a ray of sunlight.
On January 20, Lindholm attended the art exhibition opening at the Salmagundi Club in New York.
“Spreading a little sunshine may sound silly,” she told reporters, “but if I can do it, I wake up every morning thinking about saying something positive to others, making them happy, because there are too many things going against that.”
As Professor Zhang Kunlun, a judge of the NTD competition, pointed out, modern society’s ethical standards are declining, making it challenging for people to differentiate right from wrong and find their direction.
“Artistic creation should embody truth, goodness, purity, righteousness, beauty, and brightness,” he wrote in the preface to the qualifying works exhibition.
Lindholm wholeheartedly agrees with this sentiment. “There are too many ugly things in the world. I intend to balance them out with beautiful things, or at least harmonious creations, or works that convey positive messages.”
Her painting features a young girl wearing a flower-adorned hat. Lindholm explained that she aimed to convey “beauty” and “harmony of colors” in her work. “When you see that flower hat, it represents optimism. I hope people can feel the energy I poured into the painting. This is my wish; I focus more on the message conveyed by the work and the harmony of colors.”
Lindholm believes that her inner beliefs resonate with NTD’s mission. With decades of experience as a contestant, she finds the NTD competition unique.
“It emphasizes aesthetics, skills, and humanistic care more compared to many other competitions and exhibitions. Many competitions only focus on the artwork itself, purely on painting, without looking at the message behind the art,” Lindholm said. “This is one of the main reasons I entered the competition. I completely resonate with its purpose… because my artwork is about that. It’s closely related to NTD’s mission, really. So, I feel very fortunate.”
Lindholm has been passionate about painting since childhood but only pursued art professionally in adulthood.
“I easily get lost in details. I can sit in front of an easel all day,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to create works that are so realistic they seem touchable. That’s the effect I aim for.”
Seeing high-quality artworks all around her, Lindholm has been eager to talk to the judges.
“Their vision is really good. I want to know how my work was selected because it really affects the message conveyed by the artwork,” she said. The NTD competition differs from abstract art competitions she participated in, as she felt those artists didn’t understand her.
“It’s very comfortable here,” Lindholm expressed. “Being surrounded by a group of artists who understand you is quite intuitive.”