Meet Monica Horne | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Monica Horne and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Monica, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I’m from Phoenix, AZ (Born & Raised). Growing up I didn’t have the best home life so I’d try to find things that would take my mind off of the negative. I always turned to a creative outlet. Not only to help make money, but to go somewhere else in my mind. I started with cooking and began making Salsa’s and Chocolates to sell. I then moved on to making jewelry. I did that for a while before I got into baking. I ended up going to school for culinary arts and once I got older, I stared my own Baking business. All of these were great outlets but none of them every felt like they were what I was supposed to be doing. It wasn’t until 2015 when I went to a Paint & Wine class, where I discovered my love for painting. My Tata was an amazing painter and I was always in awe of his ability to transport you to whatever scene he painted, with his realistic landscapes. During that class I felt like I had connected with him on a deeper level then ever before and although I had taken a little time off from painting, once I stared back up, I completely felt at home. Because of my background/upbringing and my need for an escape growing up, I’ve actually recently joined on with a Free Arts program for homeless, abused, and neglected children, to help give them a creative outlet as well. My hope is to help Inspire them and show them that life will get better.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us about your style and what sets you apart in the Art community.
Living in Arizona, we have some of the BEST sunsets. It’s those sunsets that became my inspiration. The vibrant colors, the sun rays as the clouds hit that perfect spot. The silhouettes of the cacti on the mountain near my home. It just brings my heart so much peace. Because of that, I had gotten this intense urge to paint them and I haven’t stopped. There are several amazing landscape artists in Phoenix, but I feel what sets me apart from the rest is my need to have vibrant sunsets as the focal point. You’ll notice that there isn’t much landscape work in my pieces and I do it for a reason. I want people to fall in love with the sky, just like I have. This journey definitely hasn’t been easy as I went about 8 months without selling a single piece. I’d create and create and create but nothing would sell. It wasn’t until I truly stepped out of my comfort zone and put my work out there, that I started to see sells. Being an artist means openly letting people into your soul and I just couldn’t do it for the longest time. I had so many finished pieces just stored up in my office waiting for their forever home. After loads of encouragement from my Husband and baby brother (who’s also an artist), I decided to attend my first Art Market. It was there that I saw just how many people loved my work. It broke down the walls I had created to keep my work hidden away and gave me a new found confidence to share my art with as many people as possible.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’ll start by saying that I’m a pretty boring person, but I love to eat ha! So if anything, I can share some great restaurants. I’m not a huge breakfast person but I would totally recommend Over Easy. It’s got a cute diner feel and their chilaquiles are my favorite. Then swing on over to MFG downtown for some delicious coffee. For lunch, you could grab a slice of pizza from Via Della’s then hit up the Phoenix Art Museum. Thursday night, you could head to Grand Ave and visit one of my favorite family owned restaurants, El Charro Hipster for open mic night, a delicious dinner and drinks. You can’t go without hitting up First Friday for some shopping and live music, followed by some delicious Filipino food at Toduken BBQ. Over the weekend a trip up to Sedona would be a must as I absolutely love those beautiful red rocks. Im sure you would to. Tlaquepaque is one of my favorite Sedona stops as they have some great shops and art galleries. Maybe throw in a Pink Jeep Tour for good measure. Dinner at The Hudson would be a must, especially with their patio seating as they have some great views of the Red Rocks.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My family has been so incredibly supportive throughout all of my endeavors, but honestly, I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for God. My life wasn’t always sunshine and rainbows, but I was always protected, I was always provided for. I just feel like I have been so incredibly blessed throughout my life.

Website: https://www.MHorneArt.com

Instagram: @MhorneArt