Chris Hopkins's many accolades include
Grammy Award finalist, Cleo award finalist, BDAP Silver Medal Holder, AIGA Cover Show award winner, Gold and Silver Society of Illustrators Medal Holder, multiple Addy award winner, Award Of Excellence from Communication Arts Magazine and Art Directors Club award winner, and in 2012 he was awarded the GAP Grand from the Artists Trust.
Beginning with a journey
Across southern California to Montana, living out of his '68 sky blue Camaro and taking temporary jobs before landing in Boise, Idaho. In 1979 Chris graduated with honours from the prestigious Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles. He got a job with legendary illustrators Charles White III and David Willardson who were starting a studio and looking for young talent.
His first major assignment was painting the marquee art for The Mountain Men and soon after discovered the airbrush, revolutionising his process. Known as The Sky King for his ability to paint natural backgrounds. Four years later he moved on from skies at Willardson and White, moving on to figure painting and several iconic poster and promotional projects including Return of the Jedi, Peggy Sue Got Married, Labyrinth, The Abyss, and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. It was also in this period that Hopkins was tasked with the album cover for the tenth studio album by American rock band, Styx.
"The Styx "Paradise Theater" project landed on my desk when I was a very young illustrator at Willardson/White Studio. It was a concept album envisioned by Dennis DeYoung. The number of paintings and the promotion seemed to grow as each piece of art was turned in to A&M Records and the band. The entire project was truly a joyful challenge. Even though the project happened so long ago it will remain a milestone in my very long career."
Shifting focus
In 1988, Chris moved his family to Washington State. There, he shifted his focus to brush-painting stories of American perseverance, celebrating the Tuskegee Airmen, First Nations peoples of America's Pacific Northwest, and Japanese Americans incarcerated during WWII.
Chris Hopkins' career has been marked by a series of bold decisions and creative transformations, leading him from a college wrestling star to a celebrated artist dedicated to telling compelling American stories.