Hyeh-Yeon Hoffer sometimes sees opportunities for her paintings in unexpected places.
“I go climbing alone for practice and come to this beautiful snow scene,” she said.
On hikes she sees the sun backlighting a fern, or water dripping from a mushroom under a log.
“It just connects with me and those are the things that I paint,” she said. “You’ll see a snapshot of the moment I was in awe and dropped everything and was mesmerized.”
A drive down a coastal highway provided the inspiration for her ink drawing, “Fog Rolling In From The Ocean — Oregon Coast,” one of 35 of her works being displayed in a solo show at the Rosehill Community Center in Mukilteo.
This is the second solo show she’s had at Rosehill. The first was in 2016. Hoffer, who teaches Asian brush painting at the community center, also participated in a group show with her students in 2017.
Hoffer works as an engineer at the Boeing Co., helping ensure the proper design of pumps that deliver fuel to jet engines.
Painting and teaching art classes is “just more pure fun and a hobby,” she said.
Hoffer was born in South Korea. She had an interest in art as a child, but she knew it would be hard to make a living in art.
So she pursued a college degree in design and worked as a luggage designer. She came to the United States in her late 20s and earned a degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Washington.
She began painting watercolors as an adult. While living in Alaska, she took lessons in Asian art from a woman who learned the techniques while living in Japan.
In addition to art, Hoffer’s interests include mountain climbing, rock climbing and scuba diving.
She piloted a Cessna 152 out of Paine Field for seven years, with 275 hours of flying and 1,100 landings before deciding to sell the plane.
“I’m always doing crazy things to get inspired,” she said. “I go climb, take pictures, come home and it’s an insatiable desire to pick up my brush and paint.”
Although she finds joy and inspiration in physical activities, her painting is done in the quiet of the evening, a time when she can be introspective and alone.
“Without being alone, you cannot really produce anything or sort out your plan — thinking, concentrating, a lot of introspective time.”
She creates the ink in her paintings by mixing pine soot with water on slate. Many of her works are produced on rice paper.
“You can’t really paint unless you have inspiration from certain things,” she said. “I go to the beach, I go to climb and find things like spider webs dangling.
“You cannot encounter those things when you are busy,” Hoffer said. “You have to slow down. It’s my way of meditation.”
Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486 or salyer@heraldnet.com.
If you go
See Hyeh-Yeon Hoffer’s solo Asian painting exhibition at the Rosehill Community Center, 304 Lincoln Ave., Mukilteo from April 6 through June 27. The opening reception is 6 to 8 p.m. April 11. The community center is open 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
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