We recently connected with Christy Hopkins and have shared our conversation below.

Christy , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Have you signed with an agent or manager? Why or why not?

Yes I have! It’s a honor when you’re approached by a gallery representative. There is a certain validation you feel and it’s amazing. Having a gallery representing you is a very important part of your art career. Not only will it give you another audience to expose your art to, but it opens doors for other galleries to know you. And furthermore it allows you to connect with your own art community at a granular level.

When I was approached by a Seattle agent I wasn’t quite prepared on what that meant. It was a learning lesson! Make sure to get organized and prepare. Also read the contract thoroughly and confirm that it doesn’t exclude you from signing with other agents.

Also be sure to have all your work inventoried on a spreadsheet with prices, dimensions and titles. And be sure to price your art accordingly.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a self-taught professional Abstract Artist living in Seattle, Wa. I’m originally from Southern California and show in both states. I also sell art internationally and domestically. I’ve been painting for over 20 years and got into painting almost by mistake!

I’ve always been creative but didn’t go to art school and knew very little about art. Someone bought me a water color set after seeing me doodle one day for hours. That quickly lead to my discovery of acrylic paint. The rest is history.

I mainly produce very large abstracts that are full of layers and bold, vibrant color. My process is painting on unstretched large canvas that I paint on the floor or studio wall.

Most of my work consists of layers and all my peices have a minimum of five layers or so. It’s the layering process that makes my art unique as it grows and develops as each layer is applied.

I also work with several interior designers to sell and exhibit my art to local galleries.

I’m active in many art fairs like Saatchi & Saatchi’s “The Other Art Fair” which brought my first agent!

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I started Instagram with zero followers, and grew it to almost 70,000 followers in 5 years. It doesn’t happen overnight, you need to nurture and devote time to develop your social media brand.

Some quick tips:

Know your brand. Who are you? What do you want your audience to know about you?

Know your audience. Make sure you are engaging with the audience you want to attract.
Process videos:

I grew my following my sharing my techniques by going live in instagram twice a month sometimes more. This builds engagement, followers, and loyalty.
Use of reels. Reels are critical in anyone’s social campaign strategy and doing them constantly is a necessity.

Algorithms: Understanding algos are crucial. Post reels at the same time every day and be consistent. See what others are doing and follow suit.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Always produce honest art. Don’t listen to anyone but your own instincts!

And DO NOT copy someone else’s art.

It’s ok to see if you can master a technique but don’t steal someone’s key style. I see this far too much and it’s disheartening.

It was very hard in the beginning for me to find MY style. I was easily influenced by a few popular and successful artists I followed. The moment my art looked anything like theirs I recognized it and changed it. We all see images in our minds and it’s easily to be influenced but just be inspired:)

I have failed over and over again it’s all part of the process and journey. Recently I was questioning a particular art style I love. I almost was going to change direction but I needed to listen to my own voice. A week layer, Art Critic Jerry Stalz ended up liking three of my works on Instagram and there were the exact style I had questioned. Talk about validation! We all can doubt ourselves that is natural, but being persistent and believing in yourself is what will drive you to success.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.christyhopkinsart.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christyhopkins_art