It is often said it is never too late to chase your dreams or follow your passions. This is what 30-plus year Ridgefield resident and painter Hiroko Stumpf was able to do. As you will see in her bio below, she didn’t start painting until late 2018. Since then, Hiroko has produced over 600 pieces of art and is always trying different styles of painting and mixed media. Hiroko is a member of the Ridgefield Art Association, and you can see her artwork at the Ridgefield Library. She has greeting cards available at Ridgefield Pack and Ship at the junction. Here’s her story in her own words:

"I was born in Kyoto, Japan, and grew up in Osaka. When I was a little girl, I enjoyed working on coloring books. One of my favorite classes in elementary and middle school was art class. My long-time desire was to start painting again. I wished that someday I could have time to paint.

"My life was busy with study, work, and raising a family. Since middle school, I did not have time to focus on painting. After a long time passed, and all of my children had grown up, I had more time for myself. In November of 2018, I took a watercolor painting class that Kathy Winters was teaching in Ridgefield. The class reignited my passion for painting.  I have been painting nearly every day since starting that class.

"In watercolor painting, it is very interesting to see how the water moves the pigment to create beautiful colors. I feel like I am just a helper for the water and paint to make a beautiful picture.  I watch, and I am amazed at their work. Painting gives me a lot of joy and happiness. If you can feel this through my paintings, I will be very happy. Now I am inspired and excited to be painting!"  

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