If you’ve ever wondered how Jill’s paintings come to life - the movement, the emotion, the layers that feel almost alive, this is your glimpse behind the curtain.
Her artwork doesn’t begin with a plan. It begins with a feeling. A colour. An instinctive pull toward motion. As she always says when people ask about her style: “Which day?”
Creativity isn’t linear, and neither is her process. Here’s how each piece finds its way from emotion to canvas.
Where Inspiration Begins: Emotion, Movement and Intuition
Jill begins with energy. The first marks are rarely literal; they’re emotional. A shift in mood. A thought from a walk. A sound. A colour she can’t stop thinking about.
This emotional spark is what guides:
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the first sweeping line
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the palette that emerges
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the rhythm of the brush
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the direction of the story
Her paintings are not built from reference; they’re built from feeling.
Building a Painting: Layers, Colour and Flow
Each piece evolves in layers:
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Movement - strong, expressive strokes that form the foundation
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Shape - the hint of a figure, gesture or form appears
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Emotion - deeper tones or light strokes that shift the mood
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Refinement - subtle detailing and adjusting balance
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Final expression - the moment where the piece “clicks”
Colour is central to her work. It isn’t chosen for aesthetics alone — it’s chosen for emotion:
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Warm tones for energy
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Cool tones for reflection
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Neutrals for grounding
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Contrasts for tension and release
This is why each painting feels like it’s still moving, breathing, or unfolding.
Why Are No Two Jill Hick Pieces ever the Same
Because Jill paints from intuition rather than planning, no two works share the same emotional DNA. Each piece captures a different day, mood, moment or movement.
Collectors often say that a Jill Hick painting “feels alive” - and that’s because it is. You are not just buying colour on canvas; you are buying a moment in time.
From Canvas to Collector: How Originals and Embellishments Differ
Originals
Hold the full emotional journey, every layer is unique and unrepeated.
Embellished Prints
Combine the accessibility of prints with hand-applied texture for added depth.
Prints
Offer beautiful clarity and allow collectors to build stories across rooms.
Each has its own purpose, and each tells its own part of Jill’s wider narrative.
A Look Behind the Curtain: Studio Stories & Artist Rituals
In the studio, the process is instinctive:
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Music plays loudly or softly, depending on the mood
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Paint jars scatter like moments waiting to be used
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Large canvases lean against walls, each at a different stage
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Movement is constant - stepping back, stepping forward, changing perspective
It's a space filled with emotion, colour, rhythm, and experimentation. A place where intuition leads and the artwork becomes what it needs to be.
Final Thoughts
Understanding the creative process lets you see Jill’s paintings with new eyes, not just as artwork, but as emotional expressions captured in movement and colour.
Every piece carries a story.
Every layer holds intention.
And every artwork finds the home it’s meant for.
Explore More
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View Prints
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Explore Originals
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Find an Embellished Piece with Meaning
