Diane Hoppmann

Bio

 

Diane Hoppmann was born in Madison, Wisconsin in 1958. Hoppmann works primarily in the medium of painting including mixed media. Hoppmann has completed an M.A. from New York University in 1991 and a B.F.A. from the Corcoran School of Art.  Hoppmann's current paintings are inspired by the French Impressionists and Native American Indians. She is drawn to her inner sensory in relation to its connection to Nature. She surrounds herself with animals and nature as a reminder we are part of nature not separate from it. She thrives to share this amazing serenity with her audience. Her painting, The Herd, was featured in The Chronicle of the Horse, Feb 15, 2016. Hoppmann has shown in East Hampton Center for Contemporary Art in NY, Art in the Pink Box Park in Middleburg, Virginia( four times), Salamander Resort in Middleburg, Virginia and Delray Artisan Gallery in Alexandria, Virginia. Hoppmann lives and works in the Washington D.C. metro area as a decorative painter.

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Statement

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My paintings are about exploring light and color by a  process that evolves from within and through the senses. It is a  mutual acknowledgment of the balance of earth and spirit between us and Nature. Each painting is an exploration of the journey of being present in the moment from the first splash of color until the relationship with the painting becomes a sweet memory.

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I first began the search for the balance of our place and purpose in this world in 1984. Through a series of mixed media sculpture and paintings, I found my work at a parallel similar to Eadweard Muybridge’s photographic study of movement of horses. I began by creating a life size charcoal drawing of a horse on paper tacked up to a wall. I then set up a camera on a slow aperture and danced in front of the drawing blurring my image. I then printed the photos and then painting on large canvases with an oil stick . For me, the horse represented the earth or physical world and my blurred image would be the soul trying to merge the two.

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French Impressionists, Italian Futurists, Native American Indians, African art, Representational, Minimalist and Conceptual artists have all influenced my work.

 

As years went by, I find myself still obsessed with the exploration  of this balance between body and soul through my work. Today my paintings still maintain this philosophy of sensing Nature through physical and spirit. The visual experience of  light and color are both serene and invigorating. In contrast, the physical quality of the paint , metallics, Venetian plasters, resin, etc all yearn to be explored through physical involvement. It is their goal to keep you connected to your surroundings and experience life by staying in the moment.

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