About Treasa Hovorka

My name is Treasa Hovorka and making art has been my passion for a lifetime. From woodcarvings in my early years to my latest endeavor to paint the purest blues, the warmest reds, my desire is to share with you the intensity, depth, and sheer joy the colors of oil paint bring to my life. My mother Earth, my father Sky; I have kept them close through all these years and cherished what they have to share, the tiny flowers on sweet green grasses, a scatter of quicksilver stars across the sky, the sparkle of a mirrored lake, cotton candy clouds and lemony yellow sunshine whispering in a pale blue sky, sunsets deep and warm with promise, sleepy ocean waves of happiness. These are the feelings I attempt to share with you. Laughter from a lazy river, the babble of a crystal stream, sweet songs of winged beauties sailing on the wind, these are the stories I wish to tell you with my paintings.

The beauty of these oil paints is out shined by no other paint. In the beginning, the colors in all their beauty and richness will turn to mud and mess if not mixed and laid down on the canvas according to reason, according to what the masters who helped to lay my path have brought to light for me. I was blessed to have the time to learn quickly what others may have taken years to learn, and for this, I have my most esteemed teachers and those who have helped me to get to them to thank.

~ Steele Xiang ~ for his ongoing teaching and support.

~ Kit Night~ for her workshops that prove colors talk to each other on the canvas, no negative talk allowed.

~ Buck Paulson ~ for his workshops, amazing love, and endless quest to capture the most enchanted moments.

~ Michael Kirschel ~ for his plein air painting Saturdays where he has us let go and touch the sky with more than blue.

~ Sagi Erez ~ for leading the way to let go of what all the others have taught me and allowing me to just be myself.

~ Luz Maria Hartley ~ for showing me her tricks of light.

~ Kristen Olsen ~ for her city scapes and unlocking the beauty of pavement and asphalt.

~ my husband ~ for his ongoing love and support, I am ever grateful to him.

In the words of my esteemed teacher, Steel Xiang, there’s an old Chinese saying: “The good student has a strict teacher.” … and he means it. He also said to me: “I see your deep love for the nature and this life come out from your heart which need to be expressed in art form.”

Those people who really see us, the ones who really get who we are, those are the people to hold dearest. And the reason I have come as far as I have come today.

Treasa began her career in oil painting in 2013 after focusing more than 25 years on carving full sculpture and bass relief in exotic hardwoods. She immediately understood that oil painting was a true calling and began seeking out ways to develop her talent. Quite fortunately, she was able to study with an absolute master of fine art. As a student of Steele Xiang, she learned the importance of shadow and light, and many of unique aspects of his style and use of color.

Steele Xiang was born in Beijing, China in 1947. Demonstrating an exceptional artistic talent at early age, he won the silver prize in Beijing Children’s Drawing Competition at 6, and was admitted to the much-esteemed Beijing Children’s Place Art School at third grade. At the age of fifteen Steele was accepted into the exclusive nine-year program of the Central Institute of Fine Art in Beijing, the best art school in China, competing with thousands of applicants for one of the few positions available each year. In 1973, Steele Xiang was honored by the city of Shanghai with a teaching position at Shanghai Normal University, where he became a full professor in 1982. Steele continued to gain recognition in China in the 1980’s. In 1982 he was awarded the position of Fine Art Director and Editor of the Fine Art Division for the Shanghai Pictorial Publishing House. In 1986 he moved to Shanghai University and became a professor at their College of Fine Art School. Steele Xiang immigrated to the United States in 1988 and has been continually represented by fine art galleries in the US, Japan, and China.

Treasa was lucky enough to have found Steele Xiang in semi-retirement teaching small group lessons in San Jose, CA. She continues to study with other local talent in studio and also plein air painting groups. Treasa has found her true artistic calling.