The Scribe - Page 15

The Scribe - Page 15 Walking, Observing, and Daily Studio Work Many of Hughes’s paintings begin during routine walks through Columbus parks and neighborhoods. She notices small visual shifts, especially when sunlight moves through trees or shadows fall across a path. These moments are encountered gradually and recorded through photographs and watercolor studies for later use in the studio. Paths appear frequently in her work, bordered by grass, trees, or benches, with light cutting across the ground at an angle. The scenes are quiet and unoccupied, shaped more by time of day and weather than by activity. They reflect places meant to be observed briefly and left unchanged. In the studio, painting becomes a steady daily practice. Hughes works through each piece across multiple sessions, adjusting color relationships and depth over time. She describes the process as working through a puzzle, sometimes difficult but compelling enough that she continues thinking about a painting even after leaving the studio. Painting provides structure and focus, allowing each piece to reach completion through repetition rather than urgency. Teaching, Museums, and a Long-Term Practice Alongside her studio work, Hughes spent more than two decades teaching secondary art, working across painting, drawing, digital media, and International Baccalaureate Visual Art. She earned a Master of Art Education from The Ohio State University and served in additional roles including department chair, advisor, and workshop presenter. Her professional experience also includes museum work at institutions such as The Salvador Dalí Museum, the Museum of American Arts and Crafts Movement, and the Imagine Museum, as well as exhibitions in galleries across Ohio and Florida and participation in regional art organizations. Throughout these roles, Hughes has maintained a consistent studio practice grounded in observation and repetition, with her focus remaining on landscape painting from everyday areas. ARTIST FEATURE