Katie Holmes turns up the heat with NYC artist: Friends abuzz over provocative nude paintings… way boytoy makes her feel 'amazing'... and whirlwind marriage plans despite 'swearing it off' after Tom Cruise

It was supposed to be a Hollywood love story for the ages.

Twenty years ago, in a lavish fairytale ceremony set in a 15th century Italian castle, Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise said 'I do.' But by 2012, the actress' once-blissful union with her A-list husband had fizzled as she filed for divorce and moved with their daughter Suri from a mansion in Beverly Hills to a two-bedroom apartment in New York City to begin life all over again.

In the years since, the Dawson's Creek veteran has never spoken about their divorce, and it seemed she kept subsequent suitors - which have included Jamie Foxx, Bobby Wooten III and Emilio Vitolo Jr - at arm's length.

For those watching on from afar, and even for those who know her, it appeared the Ohio native would be spending her empty nest years alone as her only child pursued her studies at Carnegie Mellon University. 

But Holmes seems to at last be getting serious with a potential forever partner, as she has fallen hard for Manhattan artist Jason Bard Yarmosky, whom she was seen cuddling with in Lake Como, Italy, this month in dozens of photos shared to Instagram.

Even though the 47-year-old actress has been dating the 39-year-old painter for only three months, she is said to be considering taking the relationship to the next level.

'Katie would definitely entertain the thought of marrying Jason one day because she is in love and he makes her feel amazing,' a source close to the actress told the Daily Mail. 'She is over the moon that she has found a guy who makes her sparkle.'

This is quite the U-turn for the movie star, who was said to previously have had no interest in getting married again.

'After her divorce from Tom, she pretty much swore off marriage, but these days she is reconsidering. It might happen,' the source continued. 

Her sudden change of thinking comes in part from a recent tragedy in her life when dear friend, Dawson's Creek costar James Van Der Beek, passed away in February from colorectal cancer at the age of 48. She was reminded that life is short.

'After James died, Katie started to realize she better enjoy the days she has ahead and just live life to the fullest no matter what,' said the source.

'She is looking at the glass as not just half full but totally full. It's like Carpe Diem in fast forward. She wants to have fun, she wants to explore and laugh and love. Here is an example: she loves Italy and was like, "Let's go there!" That "some day" feeling is today, she is doing what she wants now.'

And Yarmosky is a worthy suitor: he is already an accomplished artist, with his work in galleries in NYC, Los Angeles, Paris and Brussels. His pieces have also been seen in the Brooklyn Museum of Art, San Antonio Museum of Art, Brigham Young University Museum of Art and the Huntington Museum of Art, to name a few.

As far as a wedding to the swarthy artist, the insider said Holmes won't jump into anything this year. 'Katie is having a fantastic time, but she is also sensible, so she will wait a year before she makes a big move like marriage,' they said.

'With Tom she jumped right in; she had so much confidence in their union, but with Jason she will first make sure they are a very good fit.'

And if they do wed, there won't be a massive star-studded ceremony. 'The next time Katie marries, it will be a small celebration with family and close friends; it won't be showy,' said the source.

When Holmes married Cruise in 2006, the wedding took place at Odescalchi Castle in Italy, with high-profile Hollywood guests such as actor Jim Carrey and his then-girlfriend Jenny McCarthy; actress Brooke Shields and her husband Chris Henchy; and singer Jennifer Lopez with her then-husband, singer Marc Anthony.

But in 2012, the couple shocked the world when they announced their divorce after six years of marriage. The split was resolved with surprising speed, with negotiations wrapping up after just 11 days and Holmes getting primary custody of Suri.

'After she divorced Tom, she totally focused on raising Suri, so she put dating on the back burner,' said the source.

She wanted to get back to re-establishing her identity away from Cruise, which meant moving to New York City and proving her acting chops in smaller films such as the 2014 movie Days And Nights. 

In an interview that year with People magazine, Holmes made it clear she didn't want to be remembered as one of Cruise's wives: 'I don't want that moment in my life to define me... I was an actor before, an actor during and an actor now.'

In the years since, Holmes has hardly addressed her love life, instead choosing to talk about her hobbies. 

In 2016, she told More magazine, 'I don't have a five- or ten-year plan. I feel like I'm still a teenager in a lot of ways. I do a lot of things I did then. I paint, I color. I cook sometimes.'

And yet, that all seems to have changed with Yarmosky, as he and Holmes have already been in the public eye plenty.

They met in June at a Tribeca Festival event, before going red carpet official in early August. In late August, Holmes took to Instagram to share a photo of one of his works of art as she linked to his Instagram account, making it clear she supports his career. 

Earlier this month, she shared a glowing birthday tribute for Yarmosky that included a photo of them cuddling and an image of his birthday cake, writing in the caption, 'Happy Birthday to the best of the best…'

Then, last Sunday, she shared his 20-photo carousel from their late summer vacation in Lake Como, Italy. His caption read, 'Life is a friend of art,' and he linked to his lady love.

The images were atypical for Holmes, who could be seen showing off her toned figure in a white bikini and a low-cut black dress while smiling from ear to ear, clearly in a state of bliss with her new man. They were also seen in bed together.

Even her fans noticed how in love she seemed, with one commenting, 'Happiness is something you can’t fake, this woman is happy,' and 'the soulmate vibes I’m getting.' 

Hours later, there was another photo-packed post which featured Yarmosky, in which they cuddled while sitting on a wooden deer and held on to each other during a hike. 

According to those close to her, the actress seems like an entirely new person.

'Katie is really letting her hair down these days because she is enjoying midlife where she has already accomplished so much in her career and she has also done such a great job of raising Suri alone, that she feels in a way all the hard work is behind her and now she can just chill a little bit more,' a source told the Daily Mail.

Indeed, her career has been doing well as she won raves for her latest dream projects, a film titled Happy Hours, which she wrote, directed and starred in with her ex-boyfriend turned close pal Joshua Jackson, who was also one of her Dawson's Creek costars.

And 20-year-old Suri seems to be in a great place as she enters her sophomore year at Carnegie Mellon University. 

Holmes' only child has even started to follow in her mother's footsteps, as last month she made her official stage acting debut in a modern adaptation of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream titled Midsummer! at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

As for what's next for Holmes, our insider said she may take on the role of artist's muse.  

'Yarmosky might paint Katie, who knows, maybe even in the nude. He is known for painting nudes. He is also teaching Katie how to become a better painter,' said the source.

Holmes started painting about ten years ago and got more into the hobby during the lockdown from Covid-19. Her paintings such as Peony 2021 and Winter flowers 2021 have been displayed on her Instagram page.

'She is not a bad painter at all, she has talent, and maybe she will do more of that like Sharon Stone has in her later years,' said the source. 'It could be a nice side hustle for her.'