Meet the Artist: Tanya Hough
By Kelli Comer
Banyan trees, birds, flowers, light and the boundless wonder of nature. These are just a few things that intrigue local artist Tanya Hough and encourage her to bring these elements to life on canvas for the world to appreciate.
A native of Venice, Florida, Tanya made the visuals of Gulf Coast nature her muse and leaned into her mother Kerin’s artistic flair to give her an early immersion into drawing and gardening. She attended Ringling Art School in Sarasota and finished college at the University of Florida with a major in English.
Tanya painted regularly even as she married her husband Pat and by 1987, they had three children—twin sons and a daughter. “Between raising children, teaching school, and relocating a few times, painting took a back seat,” Tanya says. “But I never lost the spark.”
Now a retired teacher living in Painesville, Tanya has again dedicated herself to painting and refining her craft, and her array of paintings is on display at Stella’s Art Gallery in Willoughby.
Tanya’s current repertoire gained momentum in 2017 when she spent months at her parents’ home, caregiving for them both. “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade—and painting was the pitcher I could fill with it,” Tanya explains. “It helped me stay connected to my mom and turn some of the torment into the joy of applying my craft—and hopefully making something lasting and beautiful.”
As Tanya rekindled her artistic talent and sharpened her pencils and her skills, she explored various media to find her comfort zones.
“I started doing detailed pencil drawings, but quickly moved back into watercolor and acrylics. I also had time to invest in developing more skills involving palette knives, textures, and perspective,” Tanya explains. “I find myself coming back to coastal birds, flowers, children, our cats and buildings from places I’ve traveled, like Dubrovnik, Italy, France and Cleveland.”
Inspired by Florida’s West Coast flora, Tanya’s painting “Banyan Tree” is featured as the cover of Thao Thai’s upcoming novel Banyan Moon, which will be released by Harper Collins on June 27.
“I want to get to know what speaks to me, to understand it,” Tanya clarifies. “I look at it like a challenge or puzzle, grabbing the essential elements and figuring out how to translate the vital parts of something tangible into a painting that invites.”
To reach Tanya, you can email her at tanyacatbox@gmail.com. To shop online and learn more, visit Tanya-Hough.Pixels.com. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram @TanyaHoughArtistry and by searching #TanyaHoughArtistry. Her work can be purchased locally at Stella’s Art Gallery, located at 38033 Euclid Avenue in Willoughby. Visit StellasArtGallery.com for more information.