| October 15, 2000 Artist expresses her talent through African-American faces By Kim Atchley A small starter set of pastels given as a gift during childhood began a lifelong artistic journey for Claire Miller Hopkins. Although she studied art briefly in college, Hopkins, who grew up in Spartanburg, has learned by doing. On her own, she studied the work of artistic masters and went home to practice the techniques she'd discovered. She practiced, studied and learned. When her three grown children were young she'd work at night in her private time. Pastels were easy to use because they didn't involve chemicals that might be dangerous around the children. Even today they are her primary medium. She started showing her work in juried shows and exhibits while living in Florida in the early 1960s. She began connecting with groups of other amateur artists, which enabled her to network with artists all over the country. Most of Hopkins' work is centered around people, because it is people who drive her sense of adventure and stir her emotions, she said. "Everywhere I go I see people I want to paint. Sometimes I'll do a whole series around one person," she said. She has several of these series, many of which focus on young people, often African-American children. Sometimes, they are children she has taught whose spirit and soul have touched the artist in her in a unique way. Most of her subjects are not available for any length of time, so photographing them is an essential part of her process. Hopkins lets the emotions she has developed take her on a journey, blending the reality of her subject with a setting and colors designed to allow you to join her adventure. Her paintings of children and minorities is to her a form of expression. Through her art, she touches on social issues and concerns that she hopes will open dialogue. She speaks through her art. "Most (of her talent) has been developed on her own," said Hopkins' husband, Walter. "One day she came home from class and told me 'the teacher said she couldn't teach me anymore.' " Hopkins' talent is multifaceted. She works with oil paints and taught herself photography, spending years developing her own photos in preparation for her pastels. The biggest lesson by far, however, is the one told by Claire's personal drive and ambition to master her craft. She has been a member of the South Carolina Arts Commission artists' roster for more than 15 years. It was at one of the group's meetings about eight years ago that Hopkins connected with the schools. Since then she has been invited into many schools where she shares her self-designed lessons. One summer Hopkins taught in small towns throughout the state in areas where there were no established art programs. She also worked senior groups to do demonstrations. For 21 years, Hopkins has been a member of Southern Exposure, a group of 12 exhibiting artists from Spartanburg and neighboring counties whose works have been exhibited nationwide, recently in Soho, N.Y. She has works on display and for sale at Portfolio, a gallery in Columbia; Carleton Galleries in Banner Elk, N.C.; and The Art Connection, a gallery in Greenville, dealing exclusively with African-American subject matter. Hopkins has also earned the distinction of Elected or Signature Artist for many organizations and has several works appearing in national magazines and art books. You will even find her work on the walls of the Spartanburg-Greenville International Airport. "I had no idea I would ever be considered a professional artist," she said. Private Gallery Who: Claire Miller Hopkins, a self-taught Spartanburg artist who specializes in pastels. Creative juices: Her best working hours are from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. She often enjoys listening to classical music while she paints, including tapes of her mother, the late Jewel Miller, singing and playing the piano. First Work: "I well remember the first painting that I sold because it was also my first painting to receive an award. In 1965, in Sarasota, Fla., I entered my first juried exhibit and won third place on an oil painting of flowers and fruit. After the exhibit, I sold that painting to a neighbor for $35." What she's doing now: Three of Claire's pastels are currently on exhibit in the Southeastern Pastel Society's International Juried Exhibition 2000, which will be at the Hudgens Center for the Arts in Duluth, Ga. The exhibition runs through Nov. 18. One of her pastels won an award in a New York show recently. Locally, Claire won first-place in painting and pastels for her pastel, "Waiting for Mama," in the recent Sidewalk Art Show sponsored by the Spartanburg County Museum of Art. She recently connected with local professional violinist Eun Sun Lee, painting the portrait that has become the cover for Lee's just released CD. She's also been featured in several Hub City Writers' projects. |