Hill, Michael John

Michael John Hill bio

Michael John Hill was raised in Brighton, Sussex, England.  His talent and interest in art developed early in life, but his only formal training came during his primary years in school. Considered a self-taught artist, Hill does endless details in his traditional landscapes that recall the style of the Old Masters.

He first began exhibiting his pieces in London's Green Park, where he did so for 18 years.  There he was discovered by someone from Marshall Field's London office.  The retail giant purchased his paintings and sent them to Chicago; his American career and popularity prospered.

Hill blends the elements of air, water, and earth to recapture the early morning mist and sunlight known to England.  He contrasts highly detailed trees against foggy backgrounds.  The end result is artwork that gracefully depicts serenity and peace.

He uses a combination of oil and acrylic paint to achieve his signature effects. Careful selection of undertones and canvas add to the painting's atmosphere. The detailed trees in each piece represent people from the artist's life.  A grouping of trees may represent a family, while two trees with entwined limbs may represent a loving couple. Ultimately, Hill leaves it up to the viewers to draw from their own life and determine the meaning in the painting.

Michael John Hill, a painter in oil and acrylic of atmospheric landscapes based on Old Master techniques, "blends the elements of air, water and earth to recapture the early morning mist and sunlight known to England.  He contrasts highly detailed trees against foggy backgrounds."

For the artist, his detailed trees are symbolic of people he has met during his lifetime.  A cluster of trees sometimes represents a family; entwined limbs are symbolic of a loving couple, and a cluster of larger and smaller trees may represent family relationships.

Hill was raised in Brighton in Sussex, England, and continues to live and work there.  He is basically self taught.  His first exhibition was in Green Park in London near Piccadilly Square, and he continued showing there for 18 years.  He was discovered by personnel in the London office of Marshall Field's department store, and as a result of promotion in their Chicago department store, his reputation grew in America. 

Hill was involved in an accident in the summer of 2008.  Due to the extent of his injuries, he has lost his sight and doctors say, at this time, that they are unsure to whether or not he will regain his sight.