It is in the forests and mountains that the artist finds inspiration for his artwork and his faith.

“To truly understand the subject of your art, you must immerse yourself in it fully. And so he does—living in Waynesville, near the Blue Ridge parkway and the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. From here, he journeys regularly with his three collies (Sugar, Lily, and Toppie) to favorite spots where he finds truth, beauty, and connection.

“It’s getting out and observing the things that are happening around you that matters—the smell of the pines, the crunch of the forest floor beneath your feet, the cloud that appears, seemingly out of nowhere—this is how God speaks to me, through His creation,” Hills says. As he has grown closer to his Creator in recent years, he understands that his creativity comes from God, and he desires to use his art as a reflection of the awesome works of God.

His connection to his surroundings deepens as he returns to favorite locales again and again, in every season and at different times of day, coming to know them intimately, as you might come to know a lifelong friend. It becomes a kind of conversation—one in which he listens to the silence, absorbs its wisdom, and carries it home to his studio to bring life to his paintings.

Hills graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in fine art, then began a 30-year career as a festival artist, combining his love of art with his love of travel. He had the opportunity to explore most of the US and finally settled in the beautiful North Carolina mountains.

Currently, Hills uses a unique and colorful painting style which he has developed through experimentation. The new style is called Porchoir Painting, using airbrush and stencils to render his art on board or recycled tin roofing.

First, the artist masks, primes, and applies a colorful underpainting to the tin or wood surface. Often many layers of underpainting are required to produce the desired atmosphere or climate.

Next, the artist creates his composition using leaves, ferns, sticks, and other plants as stencils, which he secures so they stay flat and motionless.

Then, Hills uses an airbrush to overspray the surface using many layers of paint to create the desired effect. As the plant stencils are removed, it’s like opening a gift on Christmas morning. The underpainting shines through the outline of the stencil, creating a glimpse of one of the many moods of the forest. The finished painting is then mounted on a piece of weathered barn board.

Mr. Hills will be in the Grove Arcade demonstrating his Porchoir Painting style at Mountain Made Gallery. The gallery features many of Rick Hills’ most recent paintings along with the work of dozens of other wonderful local artists. Please stop by and experience the colorful variety of handmade treasures.

Mountain Made Art Gallery
1 Page Ave., downtown Asheville
www.MtnMade.com

You can contact Mr. Hills by email at: rickg8tor@yahoo.com; by phone at (828) 452-0228; or by visiting his Facebook page: Art by Rick Hills.