Meet Mary Hoffman

 

We were lucky to catch up with Mary Hoffman recently and have shared our conversation below.

Mary, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?

This is a very interesting question, one I must admit I haven’t really thought about until now. There are many resources from which my optimism comes from and one may not be more valuable than the other. There are a multitude of factors and influences that collectively generate for me an optimism that I get to use on a daily basis.

The first one that came to mind is my Dad. My father passed away in February of 2023 at the young age of 82 ultimately from complications brought on by a stroke he suffered on October 31, 2022. The doctors said the major stroke should have killed him but his positive mental state kept him alive and able to communicate and sing songs and recall stories and recognize everyone in the room despite being paralyzed on his entire left side. He even sketched a beautiful charcoal picture (his favorite medium) the night before he passed.

The craziest part of his life is he had to have a kidney transplant in 1983 and was told he wouldn’t live to see age 50 yet he defied all the odds and lived a very full life that anyone would dream to live and I believe it was his optimism that carried him through.

When I am painting, whether it be en plein air or painting a figure/portrait model, I feel alive! When I am surrounded by artists friends sharing in the same experience together, there is nothing better for me. So I am privileged to be able to love my job to the point that it fuels my optimism.

But most of all, I must credit my Creator, Jesus. He is the reason I can do anything good at all. Without Him, I’d be nothing. He fills me with a Joy that is unspeakable. And it is my hope that I can reflect that Joy in all that I do especially when I paint.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

My career as a Fine Artist is woven into also being a Wife, and a Mother, a Friend, a Sister and a Daughter. Most of my time is spent balancing these major parts of who I am in a meaningful way.

These days I feel most excited about the opportunities that being a Fine Artist provides me like teaching and demonstrating painting the portrait, or traveling to beautiful properties and towns to Plein Air paint. Doors of opportunity are opening up for me to travel to Europe to paint, teach painting in various locals and demonstrate to the general public my painting skills as a form of entertainment to on-lookers. 2025 is offering a new Paint Out Event for me: I’ve been invited to participate in the Wekiva Plein Air Paint out in Florida. Being an Artist is such a fun, instructive and adventurous occupation.

I live just outside of Charleston SC and one of the high-end historic Charleston hotels has asked that I provide artwork to adorn their walls. Additionally, they have invited me to paint on location for their guests. What an honor to be recognized and trusted to share my skills with one’s clientele.

Certain landscapes, still life items and portraits that cause me to take a second look (and that also might be overlooked by the average person) is what inspires me to paint. It is my hope that what ever I paint, that it strikes an emotional chord within someone’s soul or reminds them of a lovely memory, or makes them take notice and say, “Wow, I never realized just how beautiful that (ordinary thing) really is.”

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Perfection never comes.
Stay humble.
It is the journey that brings the joy, not the end result.
Do it anyway.
Do it afraid.
Dream BIG!
Dream BIGGER still!
Everyone feels insecure; don’t allow insecurity to hold you back.
Paint, paint, paint!
Always be learning. Be a student of Life; allow life to teach you something everyday.
Forgive.
Set healthy boundaries
Love is active; do it all the time. Filter everything through Love.
Make the most of the moment right now. Enjoy. This. Moment. Right. Now.

Was that three?? lol

Tell us what your ideal client would be like?

Fortunately for me, I work with the “Ideal Client” quite regularly. My ideal client enjoys my contemporary impressionist style, allows me to express it while working within the parameters of their vision. Their satisfaction with the final work is my highest priority. The process of working with someone to achieve that goal is very rewarding. Beautiful friendships often result and repeat commissions and future projects do as well.

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