VISUAL ARTS + MUSEUMS

Canal Street Gallery presents the exhibition Maria Hughes: Dreaming in Color.  Reception with the artist Friday, April 8,  6 p.m. - 9 p.m.; On view April 1- May 5.

The monotype experience – a unique, original piece of art.

The artist writes about her life:

I was born in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico a city founded in 1848 by families that were originally living in what is now Laredo, Texas. It is a city now connected to the U.S. by the Río Grande River, three international bridges and a rail bridge. To the west of Nuevo Laredo is the vast expanse of the Chihuahuan Desert. To the south and west soar the Sierra Madre Oriental Mountains, and to the east lie the depths of the Gulf of Mexico. Growing up I was immersed in the colors, textures and lines of these natural elements. They were the playgrounds and landscapes of my imagination, my dreams filled with their colors.

When I moved to Houston to study art at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, classes were taught in the basement of the museum. I decided I wanted to incorporate my love of art with my passion for teaching so I began studies at the University of Houston where I graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Art Education. The journey led me to become an art teacher for the Houston Independent School District where I educated and encouraged a new generation of artists. After several years of teaching art, I received a Masters of Education in Guidance and Counseling from Texas A & M University. I was called to work with children as a counselor in various HISD Schools and although I enjoyed cultivating the youth of tomorrow, I never found time or energy to work on my own pieces.

As soon as I retired, I immediately returned to where I left off, my first love – creating works of art. Creating art is the way I express my feelings for the world. Color, texture, and line are important in my paintings. Some pieces I create represent the beginning of the universe. I use intensity of color, movement, line, and visual texture to portray the energy I imagine it took for the world to come into being. I also utilize these elements in my landscapes to express the beauty I see in nature. My Mexican heritage is an influence in my recurring use of vivid colors and rural scenes. Presently I am painting with acrylics on canvas and creating monotypes. I have also done collages. I continue to take classes at the Art League because I enjoy the comradeship since most of my work is done in my home.

It is my hope that my work is an experience evoking the joy I had creating them.

The artist writes about her work:

I create a monotype by painting with water-based paints on a plexiglass plate. To create visual texture, several layers of colors are applied to the plate. Each layer is allowed to dry thoroughly before the next layer is applied. When the painting is complete and dry, the printing process begins. The paper to be printed is wetted, planked between blotters to remove the excess moisture, then placed over the image painted on the plate and run through the press. The dampened paper re-wets the image on the plate and the image is transferred to the paper. It is like magic when you pull the monotype. Of course, the magic does not work all of the time. Only one monotype is printed from the plate as compared to a monoprint, which is one of a series. When you purchase a monotype, you are acquiring an original piece of art, not a printed copy.

Like all things in the natural world, each monotype is unique.

About Canal Street Gallery
Located blocks away from Minute Maid Park, this downtown gallery features the original works of its eight board members, as well as rotating work from resident and visiting artists. Canal Street Gallery also serves as a classroom, where current artists share their talents with students. www.canalstreetgallery.com.