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| Local Attractions > Artist - Donna Hoppe |
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Personal quote from Donna:“My journey with this paper is finding out about its character: what and how many conditions it can withstand, how it will absorb the combination of several mediums, how far will it stretch and move, and what does it say. The process is comparable to an archeological dig…slowly dig up and see what is revealed.” Donna Hoppe is a very unique artist who lives in Weymouth, Nova Scotia. She was born in 1948 in Saskatchewan and has lived in many places throughout her life. In the 1970’s she lived in San Francisco and attended the San Francisco Art Academy. Donna spent 20 years living in California before returning to Saskatchewan in 1989. For the next ten years she worked as the executive director of the Royal Saskatchewan Museum. In 1999 Donna moved from Saskatchewan to Whitehorse in the Yukon. While living in the Yukon she was very active in the arts community. In 2003 Donna and her husband Charles moved from Whitehorse to Weymouth. When asked why they chose Weymouth she said that after her husband retired he wanted to move somewhere where he could be close to the water. They also liked the idea of living in a small community. Weymouth provided just what they wanted. Donna now lives at 38 Victoria Avenue and has a gallery of her artwork at her house and a workshop upstairs in a room that overlooks Weymouth and the Sissiboo River. The artwork that Donna creates is very different from art that one would normally see in this area. She works with paper and molds it into different patterns and creations. She then cuts the pieces out placing them around old rusted scrap metal to create some of the most amazing art. At first glance it does not look like her art is made with paper; it looks like plaster or stone. Upon closer inspection though, one can see the fibers and textures of the paper. .jpg)
Donna has been creating art most of her life. Everything that she makes comes from her natural talent to visualize, design, and assemble her pieces. She says she had to find a way to be able to express the ideas and thoughts in her head, and she does this through her art. Her motivation to start and to continue creating comes from the simple act of being able to create something and express her energy and ideas. The majority of Donna’s art is made of scrap metal and paper. The metal she finds in various places such as junk yards, and anywhere there is old abandon metal, machines, and cars that have rusted. She picks out pieces such as tire rims, container lids and metal trinkets that she can develop into a beautiful piece of art. The paper that she uses comes from all around the world. Some of Donna’s paper is from Thailand, Africa, and China, but the majority of it is from Nepal. The paper is a fiber paper made from a plant called Lotka. This is a tall plant which means a large amount of paper can be made from it and it is also a plant that regenerates quickly so the crop does not become depleted due to the manufacturing of paper. Sometimes Donna buys her paper while visiting the various countries that sell it. Other times Donna buys her paper from a store in Western Canada called Ten Thousand Villages. This is a fair trade organization store that supports over 100 artisan groups in more than 30 third world countries. The oraganiztion buys products from the artisans which enables these artisans to earn a fair wage and provides opportunities for a better way of life. The products purchased by Ten Thousand Villages are then sold to artisans throughout Canada, like Donna. To make her creations Donna places wet sheets of paper on casting molds. These molds are anything that Donna has found that creates an interesting shape, pattern, or floral design. Pictured below is an example of a casting mold. After the paper has dried on the casting mold Donna then cuts out a section of shapes or patterns, or cuts out each individual shape itself, then arranges and secures everything together around her metal pieces. Sometimes she uses colored paper to create a different look, and sometimes she colors the edges of the neutral paper to give it an added hint of color. The result is her very unique art. .jpg)
As well as her paper and metal art that can be hung on the wall Donna also makes small containers out of the scrap metal that she finds. One of these can be seen on the wall behind her in the photo above. Donna makes box frames of mechanical mechanisms. Examples of these are pictured below. .jpg)
Donna's art has been exhibited in the Yukon, British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan. She was commissioned by the B.C. Valley Wines industry to create Silk Road Trade Maps for the industry's clients. Since living in Nova Scotia, her work has been featured, on an annual basis at the Destination Gallery in Parrsboro, Nova Scotia. She has also had an exhibit at the Weymouth Library, and as a member of the Conseil de la Baie contributes to the annual member show and sale. The Conseil de la Baie has strongly supported and encouraged her artistic process. .jpg)
To market her artwork, Donna relies on galleries that feature her art, exhibits she attends, and her personal gallery at her home on Victoria Avenue. For more photos of Donna's work see her category in the photo gallery. If you are interested in purchasing any of Donna’s art she can be contacted by phone: (902) 837-4713 E-mail: donna.hoppe@ns.sympatico.ca or through her website at www.donnahoppegallery.ca |
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