Interview Lynda Hughes

Lynda Hughes ~ Feature Artist July 2016

Lynda Hughes is Co-Chair of Art of the Pastel 2016. A lover of pastel, Lynda paints mainly in oil.
View her recent oil paintings on her website, lyndahughes.net

Lynda Hughes

"... sketches are so important to a painting to hold it together no matter what colors you use."

PSST: Everyone loves a great studio. What is your painting setup?

Lynda Hughes: I have a studio in my home. It has north light and a large easel with all my pastels beside me on a large table. The walls are covered with paintings of my favorite artists to give me inspiration.

PSST: We read so much about composition and value studios. What is your artistic process. Can you discuss the way in which you create artwork.

Lynda Hughes: I have learned over the years to start with a sketch to work out composition and values. These sketches are so important to a painting to hold it together no matter what colors you use. Once I have decided on a composition where my lights and darks are balanced, I then proceed to color.

PSST: Would you describe your painting style and color choices?

Lynda Hughes: I love to paint figures and portraits, especially children. I guess you would call me a “realist” painter. I try to capture the emotions of the person I am painting. If I am painting a serene scene, my colors are subdued, but if the painting portrays a happy scene, my colors are bright and bold.

PSST: Do you have any tips you would like to share on marketing, exhibiting or social media?

Lynda Hughes: I show my work whenever I can. I belong to several organizations in Houston, The Woodlands, Austin, Georgetown and Spectra Galerie in Houston. All of them have exhibits where I show and sell my artwork. There are many websites where you can sell your paintings, such as Fine Arts of America, Daily Paintworks and Etsy.

PSST: Continued learning is important. Do you have a favorite workshop instructor or book that you would like to recommend and why?

Lynda Hughes: I have been fortunate enough to have taken many workshops from some great artists. I first learned to paint portraits from Char Eppright in Austin. Of course, my favorite artist is Richard Schmid.

I took several lessons from Quang Ho and Dan Gerhartz. Both of them are great teachers. Quang Ho taught me composition and how to get started with a painting. Dan Gerhartz taught me to put warm colors next to cool colors to make a painting sing. I am still working on that.

My favorite instructor at this time is Cheng Lian from The Woodlands. He is a fantastic teacher and I learn something new from him every time I take a class from him. He has a new book called “Cheng Lian Art-Oil Portraits and Figurative.” I would highly recommend it. I have signed up for Christine Swann’s workship and am very excited about that.

Oil, 12x16, Lynda Hughes, Copper and Veggies