Catching Up with Maria Bennett Hock

It has been two years since my first Military Spouse Fine Art Network interview.  I continue to paint every day and constantly stretch the boundaries of my abilities. I belong to a group of four mentor/friends that travel together and show our art at different venues.  We have been to Waterworks Art Museum in Miles City, Montana,  are currently showing at the courthouse Art Museum in Clarksville, Tennessee and are looking forward to a venue in Japan!  Travel is always a plus to getting these shows.

I love working in series of paintings, some of my favorites include the “Salute” series which shows veterans of our armed services, most of them long retired, saluting.  I ask them to salute and I can see their backs straighten and they get that glint of pride in their eyes.  I snap a picture and then try to learn a little about their story.

My military spouse series is always at the forefront of my mind.  I love showing the life of a military spouse with all its trials and tribulations…joys and excitement.  It is one of my favorite series.  

I have a series of Kimono paintings since I have been fortunate to travel to Japan and purchase some beautiful kimono.  Those paintings make me happy and celebrate the beauty and gracefulness of the fabric.  I am a hat lover and I have a wonderful collection that I paint when I want to warm up and practice. I continue to paint as often as I can…ideally every day.  I attend open studios where I can paint from life and I hire models to come in and pose for me for specific projects. 

My life is full and I feel fulfilled.  My goals are to continue what I am doing and find venues that will showcase my military themed paintings. I am forever grateful to the Military Spouse Fine Art Network for their continued interest in my work. My website is bennetthock.comInstagram is @mariabennetthockFacebook is Maria Bennett HockBlog is mariahock@blogspot.com