About: Artist Scott Hill

BFA/Painting, University of Georgia, 1994

The work of Scott E. Hill is at once old-fashioned and sophisticated. Drawing from memories of his childhood in northwest Georgia, a place he visited or a color he saw could be the catalyst that sets the process in motion. His paintings are reminiscent of a style found in the brooding landscapes of 16th Century Spanish artists and the shadowy, gilt-framed works of 19th Century Romanticism.

Landscapes are a favorite subject for Hill, and the richness and texture of his work are the results of layering paint and using an age-old technique called 'glazing' over the layers. Glazing involves brushing linseed oil, turpentine, or varnish over a layer of paint, allowing the colors underneath to bleed through and resulting in an aged appearance.

Although he works primarily with oils, Hill experiments with watercolors, coffee stains, and oil pastels, and has an impressive body of graphite drawings as well. Regardless of medium, a limited palette and a skilled hand convey a certain mood. A mood that might be likened to the sense of tranquility that follows a summer storm, as well as the quiet violence that precedes it.

"I try to present images that the viewer can relate to and interact with. I feel that by giving less information, I can sometimes say more. As with a lot of my work I present a lone figure against a larger than life world. I feel man can be overwhelmed by what is presented before him, but is capable of anything."

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