A modernist aesthetic informs April Hankins’ abstract work.  Loosely improvisational, strong in gesture and brush mark, her paintings evoke a strong sense of place, referencing terrain with a muted mineral palette. Prior to receiving her BFA from Massachusetts College of Art, April Hankins took time from her studio practice to initiate and direct the Boston exhibition of Judy Chicago’s “The Dinner Party,” now permanently housed at the Brooklyn Museum.   For her work in the Yale School of Art MFA program, Hankins was awarded the coveted “Yale Cup” for excellence in painting.  Since earning her Master’s Degree, she has been nominated twice for membership in the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Hankins’ work is in the museum collections of Yale and Harvard Universities, as well as the print collection of The New York Public Library.  Her paintings are also in the corporate collections of Pfizer, Inc., and most recently, Host Marriott.   Hankins’ San Francisco studio is part of the Hunters Point Artists Community, thought to be the largest and oldest artist colony in the country.  A vibrant aspect of the arts in San Francisco “The Point” holds two acclaimed and well-attended open studios each year.  With a studio on Navy land slated for redevelopment by the city, Hankins has been active in insuring that the artists’ studios are included in plans for the site.   Having lived and painted in San Francisco for eight years, her work reflects Northern California’s distinctive light and color. When not in San Francisco, she lives and paints in Manhattan’s Upper East Side.   Changes in environment shape Hankins' imagery: last winter at Tucson’s Gem Show, she was exposed to a deeper sense of the land, a mineral hardness contrasting California’s softer topography.   Hankins changed her materials and painting process to complement her altered sense of space.  As a result, her painting process has become direct, unpredictable and surprising.