Duncan Hopkins lives and works close to the North Devon and Cornwall coast, in south west Britain. His drawings and paintings are carefully observed and improvised studies of the sea, coastline and rural landscapes.
He is interested in the atmospheric, topographical, structural and mathematical qualities of the landscape, its inhabitants and phenomena. Can painting and drawing describe, or help communicate or explain the effects of the landscape on the body and mind – consciousness(es), senses and sensations, feelings, emotions, imagination, fantasies, insights, analysis and reasoning? Or likewise, how do these human, personal things have effects on and within the landscape? The relationship between the landscape and its inhabitants, and the artist, can become quantitative, qualitative, mythic, primal and / or healing, during the experiences of living.
His images are grounded in drawing methods, and various forms of representation using mark and colour. He is researching and developing drawing and painting techniques based on historical practices. He works primarily with oils, with support work using charcoal, graphite, coloured pencil, pastels and silverpoint.
He continues his personal research into the healing, philosophical, cultural and historical aspects of Shamanism, Buddhism, Wicca and earth magic. He has a current particular interest in Tibetan Buddhist thangka paintings, and the Tantric arts.
He has over 40 years experience in the Arts, working in fine art, graphic and web design. He has also been involved in community and collective art projects, such as artist-led galleries and spaces, and helping with small film and music festival events. His other interests include a bit of gardening, meditation, astronomy, smoking in the shed, wandering around aimlessly and laying around languidly.
This website focuses on painting and drawing works, and is a selected collection from the last few years, as this particular body of work is indicative of his current practice.
There is a small archive section showing selected paintings from 1992 – 2014. The graphic design projects, web design and digital artworks (film, sound, music) are not included, as these now remain dormant practices, even though they continue to inform some current approaches to painting, drawing and image-making.
Artist’s Statement: updated 03/26
CV
Collections
Works held in Private Collections in UK, Europe, Canada & USA.
Awards, Prizes, Longlists + Shortlists
WINNER: The Ken Doughty Award, WHOBIDARTS 104th Annual Open 2026
Longlist: Jackson’s Open Painting Prize 2018
Longlist: Royal Society of Marine Artists Open 2015
Shortlist: The Plough Open Drawing Competition 2014
Longlist: Royal Society of Marine Artists Open 2014
Longlist: The Threadneedle Prize 2014
Shortlist: Evolver Prize 2014
3rd Prize: Plough Drawing Competition 2013
Shortlist: Door Prize For Painting 2012
Education
2011, MA Fine Art: Contemporary Practice, University College Falmouth, Cornwall.
– Painting, installation, film, sound and digital media. Performative, solo, relational and collaborative projects. Exhibition design. Theoretical contexts.
Thesis: “Flesh Of The Sensible: Painting, Shamanism and Phenomenology”
2003, HNC Multimedia & Graphic Design, Strode College, Street, Somerset.
– Graphic design, digital design (web, image, photographic, moving). Collaborative commercial film projects. Computer building, coding (html, css). Semiotics. Fine art.
1991, BA Graphic Design, Faculty of Art & Design, Bristol Polytechnic, Somerset.
– Graphic design, pre-computer hand designed & constructed processes, technical drawing, photography, print, illustration, fine art. Historical and theoretical contexts.