Folded Nude II
Claire Miller Hopkins
SMA 2004.01.01
pastel on paper
1994
unknown
Gift of Elizabeth Welch
about the work
My work is representational; however, my choice of subjects is always an emotional response. I prefer a candid setting which exhibits the subject's introspective mood. Thus, I can translate my response to that mood in the action of my work.
statement courtesy of the artist
about the artist
The work of Claire Miller Hopkins reflects her sensitivity to figurative painting. Hopkins can best be described as the painter's painter because of her masterful handling of media, subject, and composition. Her subtle details seem almost cabalistic in the sense of seeming to be a sign that we are on the verge of understanding nature, yet we never date interpret it for fear of disrupting it or destroying its inherent intensity and subtlety.
Largely self-taught, Hopkins pursued her art studies at Columbia College and through workshops with Albert Handell in Woodstock, NY and Alex Powers in Myrtle Beach, SC. A professional portrait painter, she taught drawing, painting, and figure drawing for over 15 years at Spartanburg Art Museum's Art School.
Hopkins's award-winning work has been shown in prestigious national and regional exhibitions and is part of public and private collections throughout the United States. She still lives in Spartanburg.
biography courtesy of the artist