Cathy Hill has had a “love/hate relationship with art” for decades, but you wouldn’t guess it. She’s not an angst-filled sort of artist. She’s more the kind of woman you hope to be when you grow up: seen some things, tried some things, let it all rest for a while, and then put it all together and made it work for her. Creative and organized. Open and realistic.
Hill’s focus for the last several years has been on watercolors of Louisville homes. The combination of dreamy, floaty hues and the structure of traditional architectures pleases her and her clients. Hill gives them their home, their little piece of Louisville, colorful and beautiful and private.
“Many years ago, in my 20s,” says Hill, “I was doing whimsical children’s book illustrations for books we sold at the St. James Art Fair, back when you had to get up in the middle of the night to grab a good spot. With watercolors, if you overdo it, you have to start over. With all these small paintings for the books, I would do it again and again until I got it right.”
Life happened, and Hill got away from painting for a time. She studied ceramics and sculpture with Bob Lockhart at Bellarmine while pursuing a BA. When she returned to watercolors to see if she could still do it, “it turned out better than I expected,” she says wonderingly. She found herself working in a more realistic style, with those whimsical, tiny paintings in the back of her head. Soon, she was giving paintings as gifts and receiving commissions through family and friends. She began painting homes for her son, a realtor, and a few of his clients, and soon everyone wanted one.
Hill also writes and edits professionally, and “juggles it.” Scheduling painting time is crucial, especially because she works in the dining room. The downside is that it makes it complicated when she has company. The upside is that the glass-top dining table doubles as a light table. She makes it work.
Delving into portraits and pet portraits is Hill’s newest challenge to herself. “I learn from it constantly, as I’m trying to improve techniques. It’s really satisfying when I’ve nailed it,” she says, on the upswing in the love/hate arc with art.
Hill is currently accepting commissions, including for December 2014 holiday gifts. You can contact her through her Facebook page or email her at cathybhill@gmail.com.
Art courtesy of Cathy Hill
