The pursuit of a lifelong dream of creative freedom is coming true for Georgia Hoopes as she awakens to a passion for art that can no longer be denied. Drawing came naturally to her as a child and she excelled in drawing and art history in high school and college. Since winning awards in high school for her black and white pencil, ink and charcoal drawings, she continued to develop her drawing skills through life figure drawing workshops. In later life she delighted at every opportunity to travel to the places she had read about. Experiencing other cultures, visiting the antiquities and seeing the masters' works at their source was a powerful and moving reality that nourished her true being and ensured that she would someday act upon her early daydreams.  Both Eastern and Western art tradition has inspired Georgia to paint her own expressions of being here now.

Her first paintings were portraits of family and friends and tropical subjects to decorate the Kauai condo that she and her husband bought in 2003. In 2004 Georgia's life was shattered by the sudden death of her son. In 2005 it was fortuitous that she met and studied with Chinese watercolorist, Cheng-Khee Chee, known for his Taoist philosophy. For the fist time she realized that art wasn't something one does for a living or even a hobby but art is what one has to do for life itself. Now art is literally giving her life as she strives to create art with elements that communicate on a universal level.

It's easy to conclude that art is in her blood when you see the artists in Georgia's family going back at least three generations. All the talent springs from her maternal grandmother, Viola Newport-Ross, an oil painter creating scenes of the Arizona desert and Navaho culture.  Her uncle, Douglas Newport-Ross currently paints oil on canvas depicting alpine mountain landscapes of the northwestern United States. Her mother, Naomi Ross-Stewart is a talented artist, as well as, her sister, Barbara Iles. Both of Georgia's sons,  Augustus and Jefferson, inherited artististic talent. The later was an accomplished multimedia artist and musician whom in his short life produced a remarkable body of work, including paintings, digital art, music CDs, and DVDs.

Artist Statement

“Some have referred to me as a self-taught artist but I'm really not. I was born with an innate ability to draw. Lately I've begun to  explore color, specifically watercolor, as well as, other water-media. Because I'm just beginning to experiment with color mediums I don't feel I have a particular style. The best way to describe my present ‘style' is representational subject matter in traditional transparent watercolor. My goal is to use the white of the paper to create watercolors that glow.”

“The greater the luminosity the more I feel I've succeeded. I believe art has the power to bring joy and healing to both the observer and the artist, as well as, bring back joy to the injured heart. Finding the brilliance of the healing luminosity of light, color, and symbolism is part of my  personal journey toward creativity and  self-realization.”

Art Organizations

• Editor of San Diego Visual Arts Network   Picked RAW.
  
• San Diego Watercolor Society Vice President International Exhibition.
• Kauai Society of Artists
  
• SDWS Membership Director 2004/2005
  
• Chairperson of SDWS 2004 International Show Purchase and Sponsor Awards
• UCSD Visual Arts Group
• COVA/San Diego Art Institute
• Point Loma Artists

Art Shows and Awards

• Del Mar Fair June-July 2007 "Yachts of Fun 2" Honorable Mention
  
• Kauai Orchid & Art Festival March 2007 "Accidental Orchids" $100 Cash Award
  
• La Jolla Art Association March 2007 "Yachts of Fun" Honorable Mention
  
• Del Mar Fair June-July 2006 "Next Generation" Honorable Mention
• San Diego Watercolor Society June 2006 "Yachts of Fun" Second
• San Diego Watercolor Society May 2006 "BB's Garden" Third
• San Diego Art Institute, January 2006 "Next Generation" Honorable Mention
• Point Loma Cultural Fair October 2005 “Next Generation” First Place Studio Division
• Todd Bradley Fine Art Gallery Open House October 2005 “Next Generation”
• SDWS Showcase Gallery July 2004 “Lotus-Eater Fruit” Juror's Commendation Award
• SD Airport 2005 Banner competition, Showcase San Diego, “Jewels of the Rocks”
• ArtWalk 2005 Umbrella competition featured artist, “Healing Symbols”
• Southwestern Yacht Club, January and February 2006 Exhibition
• San Diego Hospice, November/December 2005 Exhibition
• UCSD Faculty Club with UCSD Visual Art Group August 2005
• Orbit Earth Café August 2004 - 2005, East Meets West Cultures and Food, Acrylics
• Delmar Fair 2005 "Spirit Mountains" and "Viola"
• Warp9 Imaging “Happiness” October 2005 Original and Giclée Print
• UCSD Healthcare Art Exhibition 2004, Uplifting Spirit Co-Chairperson
• Ocean Beach Main Street Association Corporate Office, August 2003

Magazines
• ArtWalk Magazine 2005 Umbrella competition featured artist, “Healing Symbols”
• Showcase San Diego 2005 SD International Airport Authority, “Jewels of the Rocks”

Publications – Limited Edition Prints

• "Good Times At The Pub" UCSD Visual Arts Group 2008 Calendar
• "Accidental Orchids" Coldwell Banker Realtor Calendar May 2007
  
• "Next Generation" San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program Promotional Poster 2007
  
• “Healing Symbols” UCSD Visual Arts Group 2006 Calendar
• “Mediterranean Snax” UCSD Visual Arts Group 2005 Calendar
• “Cardinal Koi” UCSD Healthcare Art Exhibition 2004 Poster

Education
• March 2008 Ratindra Das 'Painting A Personal Reality'
  
• February 2007 Arnie Westerman 'Painting With Light and Energy'
  
• January 2007 Robert Burridge 'Create With Wild Abandon'
  
• November 2006 John Salminen ‘Abstraction to Realism Through Design'
• April 2006 Dick Phillips ‘Abstract Acrylic Painting on Paper'
• April 2005 Chen-Khee Chee
• BA Communication University of California San Diego 1993