Cromford Canal by Carol Hill
When did you start your creative practice and why?
I learnt to paint in Hong Kong between the 60s and 80s where I lived for 12 years.
I worked for the army in their architectural office who were designing a new military hospital during the week and I attended the university at weekends learning to paint oil painting.
Who are the artists/teachers (past or present) who have strongly influenced you?
I learnt Chinese Painting by Prof Lau Ta Po, a prominent Chinese painter in Hong Kong, who specialised in painting bamboo and fauna. This helped my watercolours later on with techniques, brushwork and tonal values.
I have a City and Guilds teaching Certificate for teaching, which gave me a good background for teaching and giving demonstrations.
What tools, materials, or techniques are essential to your practice?
I enjoy painting landscape, seascapes, still-life and street scenes, in both watercolour and oils. I often get drawn instinctively to atmosphere in what I see and experience, especially light.
I like to paint plein air and finish any painting in my studio. I like to sketch if possible on the spot but photos help as a reminder of what I see. It is essential in my view, to paint only what you have experienced and seen for yourself.
If you could give the younger you advice what would it be?
Being an Artist is not always easy and often a long road ahead of successes and failures, which is totally normal. Creativity can be addictive and at the same time rewarding, exciting and challenging. For me, capturing “the moment in time” is the essence of a good day out or in the studio.
Have you got a project / award/ residency/ or idea are you excited to share with us?
I like to contribute various paintings for charities and organisations when asked. There is often no time constraints or frantic date deadlines, as it is often planned a year ahead in their programmes. It is a very positive and appreciated activity for an artist to do and good for an artist to stretch their goalposts,as there is often a theme asked for by the charity, that the artist has not been familiar with.
Last year I was asked for a painting of a golf course in Gloucestershire in aid of Motor Neurone disease to be auctioned to raise money. This year it was for the Darley Dale Twinning Soc (twinning with Onzain in France), a painting incorporating Whitworth Park for members to take prints of the painting-to France with them to give to their hosts.
I also regularly contribute paintings to the SWA at the Mall Galleries in support of their annual charitable auction night.
I am a Member of the a society of Women Artists and a Member of the Royal Birmingham Society. I am also President of the Matlock Art Society. I was awarded the Princess Michael of Kent award at the Mall Galleries for the best watercolour in the show in 2009.
