Joyce Hill's paintings are graphically and geometrically compelling, divine shapes are formed and then juxtaposed against organic scenery. A vibrant paint palate permeates tarnished pictures of vegetation and there is no attempt to disguise pencil lines or acrylic drips. She appears to have a very focused purpose and yet a very spontaneous stroke. Her color choices and subject matter may reflect the type of person that she is; lively yet grounded, retaining a sense of urgency while relishing minute and unexpected details.
Laura Sargent: What types of materials do you generally work with?
Joyce Hill: I am a mixed media artist. My paintings consist of acrylic paints, photo transfers, found objects such as rusted metals, unusual papers, and other objects found on my daily walks. I have even used small bird's nests which have fallen out of trees. Many times the theme or subject matter of a series of works is discovered through my use of these found objects.
LS: Have you experimented with any unusual materials?
JH: This past year, I have used bird's nests, old letters, sand and even old watch faces in my paintings. I have also experimented with hydrocal, which is used in casting sculpture.
LS: We saw your painting at the Art Dialogue Gallery's "My Favorite" show, can you tell us why you chose that particular one?
JH: That painting is called" The Forgotten" and I chose that one because it symbolizes, to me, how I have felt lately. That is, getting older and feeling left behind in time. The piece has many found papers and even a watch face in it. It contains a transferred photo of a row of old boathouse doors located in a park I toured in Florida. The boat doors with their weathered look and broken down hinges looked very sad and lonely. I took the photo of them and with the help of a computer manipulated the image and transferred it to my painting.
LS: Is there a metaphorical meaning behind your work?
JH: I do seem to have many other meanings behind my work. Sometimes it is not an obvious one. For instance, it can be how I have felt about the subject as I work.
LS: Do the paintings work as a series?
JH: I do work in a series. It will consist of five works. I am currently working on a series based on photos taken on my trip across the country from North Carolina to Los Angeles. This trip was in a car over five days with my youngest daughter and her cat, Miko. I took photos out the window of the landscape as we traveled from state to state in five days. The other group of works are based on photos of weathered doors taken all over the country.
LS: Have you always painted abstractly?
JH: No, my work when I first started out in 1972 was more realistic and in watercolor. I found out that after a few years this method was not enough for me visually. I wanted to say more in a abstract way on my paper. My pieces have slowly evolved over the years from the mixed media to the semi abstract feel it has today.
LS: Are you a full time artist?
JH: Yes I am. I have a beautiful studio off my living room to work in that overlooks my gardens and water garden.
LS When did you first begin painting?
JH: I first began working in the seventies after graduating from the Rochester Institute of Technology in 1972 with a Bachelor's in Art with a major in graphic design. I worked in the advertising market for five years at two different studios in Rochester. The last man I worked for was a watercolorist and taught me all I needed to know about doing work in that medium. I did that for a few years while my children were growing up. During that time I went to outdoor art shows and sold my paintings around the country. In the 1980's I began experimenting with Japanese rice papers and watercolor. This slowly evolved into adding more collage and changing to acrylic paints which seem to give the work a more cohesive feel to the work.
LS: Have you created in any other mediums (sculpture, photography, etc.)?
JH: I use my own photos in my work many times as the subject matter or as a starting point of my works. The photos are transferred either with a chemical called zylene or manipulated on my computer to meet my needs as far as the final look and direction I want the painting to go.
LS: Do you typically work large scale?
JH: I work as large as 50 x40 inches or as small as 5 x7 depending on the subject.
LS: Do you show often? Local only?
JH: I show locally on a regular basis at the Art Dialogue Gallery and at the Insite Gallery on Elmwood. The majority of my exhibitions of my work as of late have been out of Buffalo in NYC, Florida, Austin Texas and even Tubac Arizona in juried National Exhibitions. These shows have honored me with many awards including Best of Show several times.
LS: Why did you choose to live in the suburbs?
JH: I live in the suburb of Williamsville due to my children. They are grown now, but we wanted them to grow up here.
LS: Do you have any advice for beginner artists?
JH: As a beginner artist try to enter as many shows as you can either at the local level or nationally. See how your work is received out there. Take classes with some experienced artists in your medium and read about the work that is out there and how you fit in with your work.
