The Scribe - Page 14

Vanda Hughes and a Pathway to a Peaceful Place The Scribe - Page 14 QUICK SCROLL Painter and art educator whose landscape work draws from long-term study and teaching in Ohio, with scenes shaped by light, time, and outdoor familiarity. the-scribe.org/vandah ARTIST FEATURE A Visual Language Formed Early For Vanda Sucheston Hughes, visual expression became a primary way to communicate early in life. Growing up with dyslexia, she found art more comfortable than written language, and drawing offered a clear outlet for expression from a young age. That early reliance on images carried into adulthood and continues to shape how she approaches painting today. Her work centers on natural scenes that feel familiar rather than staged. Trees, water, sky, and open ground appear often, drawn from places she encounters regularly rather than distant or dramatic settings. Painted paths or rays of light move through wooded spaces or across open ground, gently guiding the viewer’s eye forward. Color and light play a central role in how these scenes are built. Shifts in sunlight, cool shadows, and warmer highlights organize each composition, creating a sense of movement and quiet balance. Painting allows Hughes to slow her attention and stay focused on what she sees in front of her, working from observation and returning to simple visual elements as the foundation of each piece. By Dylan Sarieh and Jeffrey Darah