Hostuler showcases ‘Holiday Impressions’ art collection at West Lafayette Library

The featured artist for December at the West Lafayette Library is Melody Hostuler.

Hostuler is a self-taught artist. She and her husband David loved singing together, and when he passed away several years ago, she lost her interest in singing. She wanted another hobby to fill her time and dabbled with watercolors.

“I stopped painting for a few years, then started with acrylics,” she said. “I heard last year that they were looking for artists, and I worked on my collection all year. I call it 'Holiday Impressions,' and I have six or seven pieces at the library.”

The collection is all Christmas themes, like a tin soldier and snowman. “It was hard to choose what to take to the library.”

One of her favorite techniques is called “pen and wash.” She drew the house from her favorite Christmas movie as a child, “A House Without a Christmas Tree,” in pen and then used watercolors to “wash” over it.

Hostuler said she does mostly acrylic paintings and paints a lot of scenery pictures. She also enjoys doing lots of different holiday paintings.

“I taught myself how to paint — lots of YouTube videos. It gives me something to do,” she said.

She said she doesn’t sell her paintings but did go to the Hopewell Craft Show with her daughter and tried to give away small pictures.

“They were practice ones, and I just wanted people to enjoy them. I tried to just give them away, but most people liked them so much they insisted I take something for them,” Hostuler said.

The West Lafayette Library is open Monday through Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.