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Studio Notes

Writing is an important part of my creative practice. Welcome to the stories, inspirations, and hopes behind each piece.

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Walk on Water II: I Didn’t Know I Was Making a Series

Discover the story behind Denise Hopkins’ Walk on Water II painting—a reflection on creativity, faith, doubt, and the unexpected ways...

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Be Still and Know hummingbird painting by Denise Hopkins
Be Still and Know: On Stillness, Hustle, and the Art of Making

A reflection on hustle, stillness, creativity, and the hummingbird painting Be Still and Know - a piece that changed when...

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Ready to Ride: On Memory, Making, and the Year of the Horse

A childhood Chinese restaurant, a rooster, the Year of the Horse, and a few unexpected horses scratched into a vase....

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I Go Before You Always, oil painting of a woman releasing a Great Blue Heron by Denise Hopkins
I Go Before You Always: The Words We Carry With Us

Some words stay with us for years, waiting for the moment we need them. The story behind I Go Before...

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Four contemporary 6×6 oil paintings by Denise Hopkins featuring women at rest with white birds and a small boat, inspired by Nicola Jane Hobbs' reflection on rest as the foundation of meaningful work.
Paintings About Rest | The Story Behind the Rest Series

Four small paintings began with a single question from psychologist Nicola Jane Hobbs: Have I rested enough to do my...

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Dreams: On Motherhood, Grace, and the Lives We Never Planned.

What happens when life unfolds differently than we imagined? In this personal blog inspired by my painting "Dreams", I reflect...

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Can’t We Elope — A Contemporary Still Life Painting About Women, Art, and the Beauty of Ordinary Things

A contemporary oil on canvas bicycle painting inspired by freedom, motherhood, and faith, exploring memory, independence, and the symbolism of...

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Contemporary oil on canvas bicycle painting by Denise Hopkins featuring a woman riding a yellow bicycle through a coastal landscape with pelicans flying overhead.
In the Shadow of Your Wings: A Contemporary Bicycle Painting About Freedom, Faith, and Motherhood

A contemporary oil on canvas bicycle painting inspired by freedom, motherhood, and faith, exploring memory, independence, and the symbolism of...

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Abstract horse and rider painting symbolizing hope, resistance, and creative courage, with birds guiding the journey through a layered, expressive landscape.
Day 31. Riding Into the Unknown: Finishing 31 in 31 With Courage and Hope

An expressive horse and rider painting closes out my 31 in 31 daily art practice—exploring hope, resistance, and the courage...

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