▁thought ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁trained ▁in ▁the ▁top ographical ▁landscape . ▁Hop kins , ▁already ▁have ▁been ▁exposed ▁to ▁fine ▁arts ▁in ▁her ▁youth ▁by ▁her ▁family , ▁saw ▁the ▁chance ▁to ▁travel ▁to ▁Canada ▁and ▁paint , ▁was ▁seen ▁by ▁her ▁as ▁both ▁a ▁personal ▁vent ure , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁professional ▁opportunity . ▁ ▁Hop kins ' ▁earliest ▁known ▁sketch es ▁of ▁Canada ▁co inci de ▁with ▁her ▁immediate ▁arrival ▁in ▁Canada ▁from ▁ 1 8 5 8 ▁to ▁ 1 8 6 0 , ▁which ▁were ▁prom in ently ▁scenes ▁of ▁L achine ▁and ▁Montr éal . ▁During ▁her ▁travel s ▁out do ors , ▁she ▁would ▁primarily ▁be ▁working ▁with ▁water col our , ▁which ▁was ▁a ▁typical ▁medium ▁for ▁out door ▁art work ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁due ▁to ▁how ▁easy ▁it ▁is ▁to ▁transport . ▁The ▁travel s ▁that ▁would ▁influence ▁her ▁well - known ▁oil ▁paint ings ▁later ▁on ▁were ▁mostly ▁inspired ▁from ▁her ▁t ours ▁of ▁the ▁fur ▁trad ing ▁routes ▁with ▁her ▁husband — d uring ▁ 1 8 6 4 , ▁ 1 8 6 6 , ▁and ▁ 1 8 6 9 , ▁they ▁visited ▁the ▁Upper ▁Great ▁L akes ▁and ▁the ▁Mat ta wa ▁( O nt .) ▁and ▁Ott awa ▁rivers . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁years ▁between ▁ 1 8 6 9 ▁and ▁ 1 8 8 0 , ▁Hop kins ▁completed ▁some ▁of ▁her ▁most ▁well - known ▁oil ▁paint ings ▁in ▁her ▁studio ▁in ▁H amp st ead