Meet Artist Susie Hoffman, Spring Obsession Open Division accepted artist

Susie Hoffman,
Copperopolis
susie@townhallarts.com
www.townhallarts.com

Now exploring art after retiring from teaching English and history, Susie
considers herself a “professional art student”. She and her husband, Larry,
created the art center Town Hall Arts in Copperopolis where she has enjoyed
classes by many foothill artists over the last five years. From oil classes to
mosaics, she is always eager to learn something new.

Susie first started this art journey 11 years ago in watercolor. Happy to
retire early, she discovered a wonderful East Bay watercolor group that even
travelled to southern France to paint in the small towns of the Dordogne region.
Since opening the art store, she has branched out into oil, graphite, collage,
acrylics, and pastels. She also sells many of her photographs at Town Hall Arts.
She loves trying new media and tries to find something unique to teach at
the Copper Art Club, a group she started out of her home when she and Larry
moved to Copper eight years ago. The club now meets weekly at Town Hall
Arts.

Painting in oil is her challenge right now. “I love the freedom and color
that can be achieved in oil, but I also enjoy practicing drawing skills with
graphite portraits of my six grandchildren,” Susie said. She always takes several
photos and sketchbook along on trips to create what she calls “airplane art”—
small graphite portraits done “en route”.
Honors include awards at the Mother Lode Art Show (including a 1st
place, 2013), Delicato Show, Calaveras County Fair (including three Best of
Divisions and eleven 1st place awards in last three years), Valley Arts Show
(including a 1st, 2013), and Oakdale Transportation Show (1st).
Two of her watercolors were recently published in Sierra Wonders, a book
of visual and literary works honoring the Sierra Nevada. Her graphite portrait,
“I Hope You Dance”, appeared on the 2012 program cover of the Ironstone
Spring Obsession Show. “Copper Valley Patina”, a watercolor painting, was a
bell-ringer last year at the KVIE auction. Susie’s artwork is displayed at Galerie
Copper in Town Hall Arts, under the clock, in Copperopolis Town Square; Frog’s
Tooth Winery in Murphys; and Calaveras Arts Council in San Andreas. She is
currently program director for Mother Lode Art Association.