Maurice B. Hutchinson “Hutch”A native of Rochester, New York, Hutch has lived in Hawai'i since 2003. Hutch retired fromthe U.S. Marine Corps in July 2006 after 30 years of service and started to pursue hisartwork full-time. His artwork has been shown in numerous juried and open exhibitions in theU.S. (Honolulu and New York City), exhibited internationally (Beijing, PRC) and exhibited innumerous on-line publications and galleries. Hutch’s work has also won several AmericanArt Awards (2009 and 2017). In addition to having earned a B.A. Degree in ChineseLanguage and Asian Studies from the University of Rochester (1976), Hutch also earned aM.A. Degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College(1995), and a M.A. Degree in East Asian Languages and Literatures (Chinese) from theUniversity of Hawaii (2016).Hutch’s passion for art dates back to his early childhood. Although not formally trained inart, he did receive training in mechanical drawing as well as drafting. Over the years Hutchhas explored working in pencil, oil, as well as pen and ink. His current direction is based onwhat he calls his “doodles”, as well as his desire to create a style of art which is not onlyunique visually, but also unique in the way the viewer is drawn into and allowed to interactwith and interpret each work in his or her own way—this is especially true for his abstractcreations.Whether abstract or representational in form, all of Hutch’s work starts off and is created inthe same manner. A pencil sketch or “doodle” is created and subsequently digitized, thenusing his favorite graphics program, he digitally paints and builds successive layers ofelements upon it to create the particular composition he is envisioning (some of his creationsare composed of as many as 2,000+ layers before they are condensed during the finishingprocess into just one single layer). As Hutch is fond of saying, “My computer screen is thecanvas, the ‘mouse’ is my paintbrush and pixels are my pigments/paints.” Color, textureand abstract shapes play important roles in all of his compositions. As a result of havingadded shadows and a sense of depth to his work, one is often able to see that individualelements and the composition overall exhibits a unique 3-D visual effect. Hutch considersthe printing of each composition as the final step in the creative process, and the print itselfthe completed new work.To help maintain his creativity and artistic “flow”, Hutch believes it is important to have botha physical and mental balance in his daily life. He is an avid outrigger canoe paddler, rugbyenthusiast, jogs and enjoys the martial arts. Jazz is his favorite music, he’s a movie/filmfanatic, can’t get through the day without doing at least one crossword puzzle and he readsto keep abreast of the political-military issues affecting the security landscape of the Asia-Pacific region.