SU’s Lehman Library showcases nature’s colors

Squeezed between the middle of Shippensburg University Ezra Lehman Memorial Library Student Help Desk and tables of studious students sits a world of vibrant sunsets and mystical sailboats.

From Nov. 9 to Dec. 10, the walls of the Main Gallery hallway will display Viktoriya Hoover’s “From Nature’s Studio to Canvas” exhibit. The gallery includes a collection of 31 pieces, created with a mixture of oil, pastel, watercolor and pencil.

On Nov. 10, Hoover held a meet-and-greet with the public at her opening reception where she shared her love for both art and nature. Hoover loves spending time outside and imitating Mother Nature’s scenery.

With one glance at her paintings it is easy to see her passion is tailored toward seascapes and water. In fact, one of the walls is filled mostly with paintings of sailboats.

Another common focal point of Hoover’s artwork is flowers and trees. Hoover’s piece “Spring Bloom” showcases the rebirth to come after this creeping winter.

Hoover did an excellent job of portraying the sunset. Her canvases were a near replica of the casting sunset outside the window. In “Swan Lake” Hoover displayed the sky’s reflection in the water and a pair of swans. Her work is described as “realistic-impressionism,” according to her bio.

Hoover has been painting since she was a young child.

“If the weather was bad I would sit and paint,” Hoover said.

Each painting takes a varying amount of time to create. Hoover mentioned how often she will step away to take a break from her art before working on it again.

“Sometimes it needs time to see something else,” Hoover said.

After viewing her friend Roberta Iula’s artwork in the library, Hoover was encouraged to showcase her work there as well. She participates in various solo and group exhibitions as well as private collections locally and abroad.

Hoover was born in Odessa, Ukraine, but now resides in Shippensburg. She is a member of the Shippensburg Arts Programming & Education Gallery.

During the reception, several visitors came to the library to see Hoover’s work and ask her questions. The exhibit provided an escape from hectic lives and political drama through its calming ambience.