I have had a drive to create since I was a child. As a teen I was introduced to Alfred Van Loen, a New York sculptor and painter, who encouraged me to follow my passion and draw daily. Painters who have influenced my work the most are Maxfield Parrish and Georgia O’Keeffe.
My process:
For my pastel work I prefer Wallis sanded pastel paper and Art Spectrum Colourfix boards for surfaces. Both papers provide the tooth I need to apply many layers of pastel. My method is conventional – I work from hard to soft pastels in layers. I start each painting with pastel pencils, carefully drawing my shapes.
I then block in my colors and shapes with Nupastel and work my way up in layers using progressively softer pastels. I use only my fingers for blending.
For my surreal pieces I start with a raw idea and fully create it before it’s translated onto paper. These paintings are often inspired by a dream, a song, or sometimes a single word. I frequently need reference photos and I either take them myself or purchase them. From there I frequently work out my ’sketch’ on the computer before I paint it, and perfect it until it matches the idea in my head. Then I bring it to the drawing board.
Although I paint a variety of subjects my favorite subjects are the images that come to me through inspiration which frequently include people and a touch of the surreal.
In 2006 I started a painting a day.
There are a few benefits to working on small daily paintings.The first is for myself as a painter. Since each painting takes less time than a large piece to complete, I feel freer to experiment and am constantly improving my skills. It also allows more art lovers to become collectors of original paintings since the prices are more affordable.
My work can be found in private collections throughout the United States.
“Ria Hills, our Artist of the Month for November 2006, is a pastel painter who celebrates the quiet loveliness of the ordinary. “Some of my paintings have been inspired by a dream, a song, or sometimes a single word,” she explains. “A few months ago I started painting a 5”-x-7” work every day. These paintings are mostly inspired by small, common objects.” These works—of a cup of coffee, a baseball, a broken egg, or a marble, for instance—all speak of Hills’ fascination with light.” ~American Artist Magazine
Affiliations:
Connecticut Pastel Society
Blackstone Valley Art Association
Book Cover:
Paradise Road by Kirk Nesset
RECENT EXHIBITIONS & AWARDS
(2010) Artist-of-the-month for March in The Artist’s Magazine
(2009) Finalist in The Artist’s Magazine annual competition – Dec. issue
(2009) Hopedale Cultural Council “Day in the Park”
- First Place in graphics award
(2009) Blackstone Valley Art Association Member Show
- Second Place and Honorable Mention awards
(2008) Blackstone Valley Art Association Spring Show
- First Place and Honorable Mention awards
(2008) Connecticut Pastel Society’s member show – Jack Richeson Award
(2007) Connecticut Pastel Society’s member show
(2006) November Artist of the Month, American Artist Magazine
(2005) Connecticut Pastel Society’s Renaissance in Pastels juried exhibition – Norwich, CT
(2005) 6th International Juried Exhibition, River Tree Center for the Arts,
Kennebunk, Maine
(2005) Zullo Gallery Exhibit #75 (4 person show) Medfield, MA(2004) Finalist in the ARTROM.com “No Limit 2004″ juried competition
(2004) Hopedale, MA “Day in the Park” competition, Purchase prize award and first place pastel
(2004) Franklin, MA Art Association’s 2004 Exhibit, Honorable Mention
(2003) Uxbridge, MA – The 45th Annual Art Show of the Blackstone Valley
Art Association first and third place awards
(2002) Millworks Gallery, Uxbride, MA “Where We are Now” – Artistic
Reflections of the Post September 11th World – video
compilation/presentation
(2001) Uxbridge, MA Artists and Artisans Show
(1992) Hopedale, MA Fine Arts Festival, second place in mixed media
~Private collections throughout the US
