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"...they are purely naturalistic depictions which yet contain a mystically symbolic quality equal to what one might find in the very best purely abstract works. This combination which she has mastered of exquisitely precise depiction of nature with profound symbolic expression is intensely moving and extraordinarily effective."
-Christopher Faris, Manchester Journal

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Growing up in rural Vermont, Hoey spent many hours exploring its woods, river banks and beaver ponds. Hoey has always liked to create with her hands and started painting and drawing as a child. Gradually, she began to create art full-time, developing her current focus: landscapes in charcoal.

The terrains that inspire Hoey provide solitude. They are often remote, rugged, and unspoiled. Each year she has spent time creating art on Great Cranberry Island, Maine, in west Texas, and in Vermont. Most recently, she has found inspiration in south Florida's wilderness.

Hoey was awarded two residencies, first in the Everglades National Park and then in Big Cypress National Preserve. During these residencies, she fell in love with the ecosystem and was inspired to move to southern Florida for a year, to further immerse herself in the environment. She now lives in Vermont.

Hoey has exhibited in New England as well as in Texas and Florida. Currently she is represented by the Sharon Arts Center in Peterborough, New Hampshire and Islesford Artists, in Islesford, Maine.

ARTIST STATEMENT

While working in a variety of media, I discovered my love of charcoal and the challenges of its limited palette. Using techniques developed on my own, I create pieces inspired by the natural world. Particular places evoke strong feelings, which I portray as emotional landscapes rather than realistic renderings.

Internal journeys and questions are common themes throughout my work. Realizing the necessity of acknowledging and expressing that which is within, both the light and the dark, I explore these emotions in my drawings. I arrange the elements in my charcoals to resonate with feelings of place on a very primitive level. Through my work, I seek to capture something larger.

As Robert Henri aptly put it, "There are moments in our lives, there are moments in a day, when we seem to see beyond the usual. Such are the moments of our greatest happiness. Such are the moments of our greatest wisdom. If one could but recall his vision by some sort of sign. It was in this hope that the arts were invented. Sign-posts on the way to what may be. Sign-posts toward greater knowledge."

The Rowen

Shark Valley

September

Early Spring