Local artist uses the heartbreak of loss to return to painting, helps others learn craft with classes in Rockmart
A local artist has mastered his trade in oil painting through 33 years of l essons, practice, teaching, and heartache, and these days is also passing along that knowledge to others.
That's t he story of James Hill, who provides l essons on painting, drawing, and watercolor techniques down at the Rockmart Cultural Arts Center in the city hall complex.
Hill faced a loss in his life a few years back that he said impacted in his outlook in art. When his wife passed away in 2011, Hill came back from a hiatus from making art and began to paint again. He said he used painting as a form of therapy to help
him through his grief in the years since.
In his early days in his return to the canvas, Hill produced realistic portraits of his wife. One of these paintings includes "Return to the Dust," a portrait of his wife's face that is divided in half, with one side disintegrating into dust while the other remains whole. Hill said it is supposed to represent a message that after death we return to dust, and was part of his therapeutic return to art.
During this time, Hill also produced "Stepping Into the Blackness," a portrait of his wife stepping up a garden path, and she has turned to look over her shoulder before she as- cended into the darkness of the unknown after death.
Hill has lost count of the numbers of paintings he has done over his decades of making artwork. He said that some were forgotten and then brought back into his memory since he returned to painting regularly.
"I was talking to my daughter here not too long ago and I was thinking this was the first painting of a lighthouse I've ever done," said Hill. "My daughter told me ' no... that's not the first lighthouse. I have one from when you did back in the 80s.'"
Hill started painting in 1984 after he took his son to paint-ing lessons.
His son soon dropped out of the lessons, but Hill continued on himself as he became inter- ested in oil painting. Since then Hill has painted a plethora of portraits of friends and close ones, and dappled into the art of surrealism.
Though he still mourns the passing of his wife, he celebrates his return to the canvas by not just painting for himself, but helping others learn the craft.
Hill offers a six week course for ages 12 and up, and provides lessons on the basics of oil painting, technique, and how to use various tools to create a realistic picture on canvas.
Hill also give classes on graphite and oil paint.
To get in contact with Hill and l earn more about the lessons, contact him by phone at 770355- 1535 or by email jhill2411@gmail.com.