By By ERIN VER BERKMOES / Niles Daily Star
NILES - Everyone whether they are young or old, usually has a passion in their life and for Niles resident Clare Hoinville her passion is painting.
Her dream of having that show has come true as her work is currently featured at the Riverfront Gallery Riverfront Cafe located at 219 N. Front St. in downtown Niles through May 31. On Sunday May 15, from 1 to 3 p.m. the public is invited to attend a reception for the artist.
Hoinville taught art for 30 years in the Galien School District, retiring just five years ago. Over the past 10 years she has been painting on and off, but has really gotten into the world of painting during the last three years.
Hoinville often takes classes to improve her technique and to gain knowledge about different things. She has also won awards since devoting more time to her painting.
She recently received an award from the Indiana Plein Air Painters association and from the North Indiana Artists association. She also paints with a group at Studio Arts in South Bend and at the Art Barn in Valparaiso, Ind.and is also a member of the GAIA Artists' Cooperative in southwest Michigan. She is a docent at Midwest Museum of art in Elkhart, Ind.
Hoinville added that she often just drives around the area looking at different things to see what might be out there for her to paint or what looks interesting.
Some of the more interesting things she has painted in Niles are the Morris Chapel, Island Park, and several homes that have just caught her eye for one reason or another.
When Hoinville paints she uses oil paints because she likes being able to easily fix something on the painting that she doesn't like.
She also enjoys painting outdoors the most because you get a better sense of things and she doesn't like to paint from a picture.
Hoinville added that she plans to keep painting for many years, and she really likes the fact that her painting keeps evolving into better and better work.