Q+A: ANTHONY HOPKINS

Friday, April 13, 2007 | 7:13 a.m.

What: Paintings by Anthony Hopkins

Where: Art de Vignettes, Fashion Show mall

When: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday; and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, through June 15

Info: 734-3202 or www.artdevignettes.com

Anyone wondering what Oscar-winning actor Anthony Hopkins does in his free time might want to check out his exhibit at Art de Vignettes in the Fashion Show mall.

The actor is a prolific artist who paints almost every day and credits his wife, Stella, for his return to the canvas. After finding a pile of old scripts with his drawings on them, she was impressed and encouraged him - even wanting him to make party favors for their wedding.

Not familiar with the term, Hopkins says, laughing, "I thought she wanted me to sing and dance."

But it was the paintings she sought, and Hopkins painted 75.

An additional 100 paintings were featured at a gallery owned by friends in San Antonio, who continue to carry his work.

With the sales, he says, "I get a commission to buy my art supplies."

And he needs a lot of supplies. Hopkins makes thick, swooping strokes with gobs of paint. Using a palette knife , he's generous with his motion and use of color. His work is painterly, wild and vibrant. Sometimes Hopkins, who paints in his Malibu studio, uses the help of gravity.

But those are his rich abstracts. His landscapes, some of which are ink on paper, are more composed and varied. Each has a different personality.

Hopkins likens his freestyle painting approach to that of his unconventional movie project, "Slipstream," which he wrote, directed and acted in. Both dabble in dream states.

Returning from a trip to an art supply store on Santa Monica Boulevard, Hopkins takes a few minutes to talk with the Las Vegas Sun.

Q: I read that you were artistic as a child. When did you return to art?

When I was hanging around the set or learning my lines I would just doodle on the scripts. Sitting in the trailer I'd draw these landscapes and people would say, "Hey, can I have that?"

Any formal training?

I make them up as I go along. I'm not doing it for a reason. I'm doing it for fun. I don't have much of an education in art. I mean, I know a little, but I'm not an expert, so my brain is fairly free of it.

You're prolific.

I do everything in excess. People say, "What are you going to do this afternoon?" I say, "I'm going to write a symphony or paint six paintings." They'll say, "That wouldn't surprise me." I've got more energy than I ever had and I think that's got to do with painting.

How influential is your wife?

I'm a bit of a shy artist. My wife is in the art business and she's very encouraging of me ... I'd say, "I can't paint." She'd say, "Stop saying you can't."

Where are the landscapes from?

They're landscapes from South Wales. I just follow the pen, follow the paint. It's in my memory. It's all stored in there and you find a way to release it.

Do any of your characters from acting come out? Has Hannibal done a painting?

(Laughs) I've forgotten about old Hannibal.

Describe your new work.

Foliage, flowers, rich colors, which remind me of my childhood. Landscapes that are not really landscapes. Giant flowers that dwarf the sky.

Do you have a specific pursuit in art?

I don't take it seriously. I do it for sheer pleasure. I make a hell of a mess in the studio. It's done wonders for my subconscious. I dream now in colors.

I've read that your approach to acting is similar to painting.

I just learn the lines, show up and hope the check is in the mail ... The less effort the better.

Sort of like the "Tao Te Ching"?

Yeah, it's exactly that. The law of least effort.

You must be quite a regular at the art store.

Yes. They see me and say, "Oh, he's going to take all my liquid paint."

So you're not concerned with art reviews?

At my age, I'm going to be 70 at the end of the year, I feel freer than I ever felt. I don't have worries about criticism. I don't care about the rules because I don't know about the rules.

Henry Miller says, "Paint what you like and die happy."