Sandra Hughes’ interest in art began at an early age and was largely influenced by her curiosity of three small European watercolors of Bruges, which hung over her grandmother’s sofa.
The artist described the arched doorways, gates and buildings with very few strokes, directly and confidently. The technique looked effortless and transparency intriguing. Hughes wanted to step into the paintings and, with that said, a desire to express her visual and emotional stimulation through art began.
Hughes’ knowledge of art has been acquired through many hours of rigorous self study as well as studying with nationally known artists and painting with instructors in Paris while living there for two years. Sketching in the Louvre, painting in Monet’s gardens and around Paris, fed her desire to describe the beauty around her and prompted her to open a successful gallery in Fernandina Beach in 2003 after returning to the states.
Although her preferred medium at that time was watercolor, she also worked in acrylic, pastel and occasionally oil. After 20 years of watercolor, Hughes has transitioned to oils as a means of growth which is vital and ongoing.
Collections of her art can be found around the country, as well as Europe and Asia and this month she is the featured artist at Village Arts Framing and Gallery in Sawgrass Village.
Village Arts owner Pamela Keegan welcomes visitors to the gallery from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday to view Hughes’ work, as well as works of many other local and renowned artists.
Go to villageartspvb.com/index.html for more information.
