A talk with artist Melissa Ochs

C. J. Hooker Middle School Q: What is your inspiration? A: Nature is my love for art. Q: When did you start? A: I got interested in painting at around age 12. Q: Did you go to art school? A: I went to a teacher’s school and took a lot of fine arts classes. Q: What is your most noticed work? “The flowers, because I love to look at them, so it comes out when I paint them. Q: What is the most valuable painting to you? A: It changes from year to year. As an artist, you tend to like the art you did recently. Q: When you were a kid, what was your dream? A: To be a teacher. Q: What was your hobby when you were a kid? A: I loved playing outside, being outdoors. That’s probably how I got my inspiration. Q: Have you ever traveled somewhere to see other art? A: The nicest place I traveled to was Italy. I have also gone all around the United States to see what other artists are doing. Q: When you became an adult, what was your number 1 goal? A: To capture nature’s beauty. That’s what I’m still trying to do. Q: What is your favorite thing about being an artist? A: Probably because it’s a lot of fun. Q: If someone wanted to become an artist, what advice would you give them? A: To keep at it, and to pick a subject that interests them. Editor’s note: Melissa Ochs is a teacher at C.J. Hooker Middle School. Some of her paintings are included here.