G.S. Hill Opens Summer Show
This Friday, July 3, the Stars and Stripes will be honored in the second annual Our American Flag exhibition at the G.S. Hill Gallery, 40 Straight Wharf.
Gregory S. Hill has been painting and exhibiting at his gallery on Nantucket Island for more than a quarter century. His first flag exhibit was held last year during Independence Day celebrations on Nantucket. Greg Hill is excited to be presenting this second exhibition of new flag paintings. “I had so much fun with the first one!” he smiled.
The American flag has always been dear to Greg and his wife Judi: “We’re very patriotic... the flag is an important symbol that helps Americans bond together...People here value our freedom even more as we see what’s happening in Iran.”
Capturing in paint an object that is constantly moving, fluttering in the breeze, is not an easy task. Particularly when that object is a potent symbol full of meaning for so many people. “The most difficult part is making sure that it flows correctly...light and shadow are key,” Greg explained.
When he finds a scene he wants to capture, Hill first does a charcoal sketch on canvas and spray fixes it. Next comes a wash to enhance the background, then he begins painting.
Nantucket residents fly their flags proudly. “Hulbert Avenue has tons of them in the summer season, and Old North Wharf is just full of them!” One of Greg’s favorites in this season’s show is Six Flags Aflyin’, a view of Old North Wharf as sun breaks through the fog.
Greg’s favorite methods of transportation when finding just the right scene to paint is by boat, in his 12-foot skiff Greg’s Office. “I used to row around, throw out an anchor, and then sketch from there.” Built by Bruce Killen and recently refurbished by Jim Genthner, this mahogany and ash boat with Greg at the helm has long been a familiar sight around Nantucket. He still goes out in it every chance he gets, though now he’s more likely to motor than to row: “If it’s a beautiful day...I’ll motor over to pick up Judi from the gallery and bring her home...it’s very romantic.”
Twenty or so new paintings will be included in this summer’s Our American Flag exhibition. A number of small works painted in oils on birch wood panels will be featured — “I can get better detail on the wood,” Greg explained. The larger paintings, in oil and in watercolor, are on canvas.
Greg’s flag paintings focus on Nantucket subjects, and he has also broadened the range. Island scenes dominate, but a few images from their winter home in Georgia are also included. Some are historic, some whimsical, and some are centered around American icons such as a baseball and an apple.
One of the more unusual works in this exhibit is Then and Now, an intricate hand-watercolored Chinese fan depicting the first American flag and the current American flag. Greg learned how to paint fans during a visit to Shanghai in 1987. “The hardest part is putting in the bamboo struts and threading them to the back.” The fan is backed in Chinese black silk and positioned in a gold frame.
Greg often listens to books on tape while painting in his studio. Flags of Our Fathers was inspirational for this show and for three paintings in particular. He’s done a series Iwo Jima series: one of the original flag raising, one of the changing of the flag, and one of the well-known image of the larger flag being raised.
The Hills are always looking for new and different flag scenes. Some of the paintings in the show were done from photographs shared by island residents. If you have a treasured photograph of an American flag flying, please share it with Greg and Judi.
Our American Flag opens with an artist reception on Thursday, July 3 from 6 pm to 8 pm at the G.S. Hill Gallery, 40 Straight Wharf. www.GSHill.com.
