Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/251527
30 BRAVA MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2014 KELLI HOPPMANN DREAMLIKE IMAGES COME VIBRANTLY ALIVE Kelli Hoppmann may spend hours tucked inside her painting studio, but her IMˬGINˬTIONISCLEˬRLYǢOˬTINGOUTDOORS amongst the trees. It's a deep curiosity THˬTTˬKESǢIGHTˬSSHECRˬNKSOUTONE fantastical image after another in which elements of nature, anthropomorphic animals and delicate-looking women mingle—and often merge—to create striking scenes. Her precisely rendered oil paintings are like illustrations of beautiful but con- founding dreams, and she describes the process of making them as "meditative and addictive." With work that sells well, the Madi- sonian and mother of two has become ˬ PROLIǠC CONTRIBUTOR TO THE LOCˬL ˬRTS scene, and is represented by Artisan Gallery in Paoli and Gallery 360 in Min- neapolis. Her work has also been shown widely in galleries and museums includ- ing the John Michael Kohler Arts Center and the Museum of Wisconsin Art. When asked about her success Hoppmann says, "I paint the people I meet and the beauty I see, and I think others recognize both." –Karin Wolf PHOTOGRAPHED BY ERIC TADSEN (LEFT AND TOP RIGHT) AND SHANA WITTENWYLER (TOP LEFT) See Hoppmann's work on display at the Artisan Gallery & Creamery Café, 6858 Paoli Rd., Paoli. artisangal.com. THRIVE PORTRAIT OF AN ARTIST