My name is Della Hoke. My mother told me that I’ve been interested in drawing and colors since I was a toddler. I’ve always loved to draw and doodle, and ended up as a Drawing major at Penn State. Afterwards I went to the California Institute of the Arts’ Character Animation program. After I came home to Pennsylvania, I showed and sold my works at various local arts & crafts shows. I also taught art classes to children at the Art School & Galleries in Mechanicsburg for a while.

How does your medium inform your viewpoint? What do you like most about your medium?
I have a lot of fun in making marks in pencil as well as pen & ink. Creating a picture out of many small marks is great! I discovered colored pencils years ago and really liked it. I haven’t had much training in color or color theory, so it was a learn-as-I-went process.

While I do love drawing in pencil, I also enjoy dabbling in other mediums. I’ve painted in watercolor and, most recently, in acrylic. I’ve tried pastel – I admire artists who work in pastel greatly because I find it difficult.

Who or what have been your artistic inspirations?
My inspirations have been many and varied over the years. I have many books of illustrators, ranging from Norman Rockwell to Frank Frazetta. As a person who loves detail, I find the loose strokes of the Impressionists to be awesome. Lately I’ve been looking at Cezanne’s work. Finally, I get inspiration from artists I have met. Caroline Erney’s tiny, sweet etchings and Barbara Buer’s large, vibrant flower paintings both attract me.

Do you have a favorite piece in your portfolio?
I think that my favorite piece in this show is “Horse Shoes”. It was a quick work that I did at Penn State long ago. It still brings a smile.

What would be your advice to artists just starting out in your medium?
My advice to anyone interested in any medium is to keep working at it. Be open to learn new methods and processes. Be a sponge! Listen and learn and ask questions. Have fun with it!