Category: Blog

My blog and my paintings go hand in hand. Welcome to the stories, inspirations, and hopes behind each piece and what art is continually teaching me about living live well.

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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Abstract acrylic painting of a horse and rider with expressive blue, pink, and green gestural forms, symbolizing creativity, balance, and inner strength.
Day 30. High Horse, Good Grip: When Creativity Gives Us the Courage to Ride

On day 30 of my 31 in 31 practice, a horse I painted earlier in the month returned—this time built...

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Abstract palette knife painting of a peacock walking lightly across a textured pastel background, symbolizing confidence, return, and artistic rediscovery.
Day. 29: Treading Lightly: What Happened When I Revisited an Old Abstract Painting

What happened when I revisited an old abstract painting during my 31 in 31 challenge was unexpected—less about fixing and...

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Red-bellied woodpecker painting with raised head and bold posture against a geometric green patterned background, original acrylic bird artwork
Day 28: Ready for What Comes Next

As day 28 of a 31-day painting practice, this red-bellied woodpecker emerged with its head lifted and chest forward—ready for...

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