Allow Yourself Mistakes

         "A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing."-George Bernard Shaw
           This is so true and one of my favorite quotes. When ever I find my self worrying about messing up I remember this quotes. As in art and any creative occupation there is a need for confidence.
In order to self motivate and have that confidence you need to let go of fear.
 You must allow the chance of  failure in order to succeed. For success to prevail there are two important things to remember. First try to see what went wrong so you can grow. Second and even more important keep trying. NEVER GIVE UP! Freeing yourself from the fear of error will let the magic get a chance to come through.

-Common Buckeye-oil on canvis-8x10"-

What I miss most about Art school



- Toadstools - oil on canvas - 9 x10" - painted this week -

   Constructive criticism is what I miss the most about art school. Friends and family don't like it or they do. Usually they like it or at least they say so. Even when they are willing to be honest, they can not always explain why or tell how to improve the piece. At college the professors would speak their minds freely. At times there may have been no way to save a painting. But that was OK because they could explain the problems of the piece. This helped my art grow and improve at an accelerated rate. It is like proof-reading your own writing. When you read your own writing it sounds like what is in your head not what is on the paper. Critiquing your own art is much the same. Sometimes you see what you want to see not what is really there. Artist need educated or enlightened honesty. Do not lie but do not be cruel unless you can give helpful advice. And taste should not come into play. A good critic should understand and appreciate all styles of art even if they do have a personal favorite.

The Red Toadstool

-the Red Toadstool-oil stick on paper-5x7"

   Childhood memories of hunting for morels with my father in the woods there we lived. Stories of fanciful fairies and mythical woodland creatures who lived and played under toadstools. The magical powers of the mushroom in Alice and Wonderland. Brightly dyed patterns of spotted mushrooms on little girl dresses in the 70s when I was a quite young. There is no wonder I am draw to photograph and paint these. For they are not only fungi to me, they are childhood dreams and joys.

Fall Beauty All Around

      I had planned on posting a painting this week, but nature changed my mind. Most of my newer paintings are Summer images.How can I think of butterflies, raspberries or children running through wildflowers? That was then FALL IS NOW AND WOW. Everywhere I look its beauty speaks to me. The trees are calling me. Their acorns their leaves changing, dancing and falling to the ground, and mushrooms sprouting from their decay. God's canvas is brightly painted with yellows, greens, golds, oranges, reds, and purples. I just had to share some of the images I photographed this week.You may even see these images again in painted form soon.

Look at art for inspiration at MoMa




"The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious-the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science."-Albert Einstein 

Pablo Picasso. Girl Before A Mirror. 

Paul in front of a Ginormous Monet



WOW can you see my goosebumps!



                   The masters the best place to learn and get inspiration. Paul and I visited the Museum of the Modern Art in New York for our 10th anniversary. Here I am in front of Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh (one of my favorite artists). My oldest boy is even named after him. Like the bliss of loves first kiss.There is something incredibly moving seeing a master piece in real life. Reproduction never do them justice.

My Inspiration

WHAT I SEE-  nature, art, the human form

WHAT I FEEL- emotions charge my creations

WHAT I HEAR- music helps me connect to the piece

-Flight of the Giant Swallowtail-oil on canvas-10x20"-

WHAT I LOVE- all things of beauty inspire me

What I put myself through to get photo references

      Almost daily I go on nature hikes with my husband Paul and dog Asti. I always bring my camera so I can take photos of nature to paint. My husband and I have very different ideals on what "staying on the path" means. I often tell him "this is a deer path not a people path".
    On our walk today my husband once more decided to wander off with the dog. As I was following butterflies, taking photos of flowers, and collecting bird feathers I realized we were getting deeper and deeper in a ginormous brier patch." Where are we? Where is the path?" I asked. At first he acted as if he knew but soon I realized of course  he was full of it. More and more briers and thorns. They were endless. We saw a corn field ahead and decided to walk along it to get out of the thorns. Now quite desperate and lost, Paul said "lets ask the farmer for directions ". First good suggestion I thought. Unfortunately the farmer 's direction on how to get back to our car included lifting our 65lb dog over not one but two 5ft fences that were topped with barbed wire. And that is exactly what we did ,very carefully. After more briers, a bog and a field we finally found the parking lot. Thank God literally.

scratches poison, ivy and feathers I collected on hike



photo standing in same spot as photo lower right  but I was looking to the left

photo standing in same spot as above left photo but looking to the right good example of perspective

         Some hikes I come home with tons of wonderful images. Like I have said "there is beauty all around ". Sometimes it is harder to find like today's that produced photos of trash by the pond, bruises, poison ivy and
scratched legs. Oh well you can not win them all but I will certainly keep hunting for reference images for my art.

Paint what you Love



-The Blue Jay Feather- oil on canvas- 9x10"-

    They say you should paint what you love. There is nothing I am more passionate about than my children. I enjoy catching them with all their wonder and their fresh eyes . Here is a painting I did this week of my youngest boy. He playing with a blue jay feather we found in our backyard.

Beauty All Around






           There is beauty all around.The trick is filtering out the eyesores. I am  constantly on the look out for inspiration. Different perspectives, cropping, angles all help me view the world more artistically. Art is always on my mind. I try to have my camera handy. You never know when you will see something magical. It could happen at the most unlikely moment. Most of my paintings originate in photos.





This is a photo of my reflection in the car rear view mirror while waiting in a line at a drive through window.  

 

To tighty render or To loosely express



 -Lilly-oil stick on paper-8x11"-



-Love of an Angel -oil on canvas-18x24"

          I was trying to pick a piece to enter in an art contest. Looking at some of the previous winners it seemed most were photo realism. They were of course very good. It is just I wonder why all tight realism. Is there a place for the more expressive art?

The sunflower

This is a painting I did last summer. I intended this piece to give the viewer a feeling beauty,youth and romance .

-The Sunflower- oil stick on watercolor paper- 14x18'-

 Please let me know what you think . I hope you enjoy it.

Portrait and Figure Paintings






  



-Girl in the Grass- oil stick on watercolor paper-14x18"

        This is the subject I always go back to. The human form is my favorite to paint. People are fascinating to look at . Whether a close detailed portrait or a shadowy distant figure. There is nothing else that draws my eyes in to study and analyze more closely. The texture and many colors of the skin for one. I am not just talking about the tans ,brown,and whites.  Colors the reds oranges, yellows, greens blues even purples are what I look for. The shadowing, reflective and transparencies you see on skin are beautiful. Eyes are another captivating feature. The way the light shines and the flecks of colors dance on the iris fascinate me. Capturing the individuals characteristics and their emotions at that moment is very important to me. These reasons and many more are why I will always be a figure painter.

The Creative Soul

        Art makes my heart sing. Without time to create art I feel empty and unbalanced. I am only truly happy when I am creating. Creating can be many things. Painting , Drawing and Photography of course  my favorites but also other things decorating, fashion, gardening,writing,cooking, ect... I am sure there are many of you who can relate.

My Education

    


       I have a bachelors degree in fine art from the Columbus College of Art and Design. There I studied many things from the basics of design and color to how to putting on a professional art show. My favorite classes were oil painting, figure drawing, photography and watercolor.
                 

                       Currently

        Oil painting continues to be my true love. Most of my current works are oil paint on canvas or oil stick on watercolor paper. Photography is also very important. I am constantly taking photos. First because I use my own photo images as reference for my paintings. Second because photography is a quick way for me to get my creative fix.

Why start an art blog?

        

         Hi I am Monique Hoch. I am an artist, wife and mother of three wonderful boys. I live and create in lancaster, ohio.    











                                                       why blog?
         
  The reason I am starting this blog to share my art and learn and grow from your feedback.