The Artist
After retiring from advertising agency life in 2015 David built a home studio and began his second career as a fine artist. A year later he accepted an adjunct teaching professorship in Painting, Watercolor Painting, Illustration Techniques and Two-dimensional Design at Monroe County Community College. It was a homecoming of sorts, since MCCC was where he decided to become an artist 43 years earlier. Teaching part-time offered the opportunity to give back to young aspiring artists, and he continued teaching for nearly 3 1/2 years. Dave took his “second retirement” from teaching in December, 2019 in order to devote more time to his artwork.
The Work
Perhaps because of his background as an illustrator — which required a lot of detailed realistic rendering — he has taken a stripped-down approach for the current work. It is inspired by the late 19th and early 20th century Masters Casorati, Modigliani, Picasso, and Schjerfbeck as well as Japanese woodblock prints. In his drawings, using graphite, charcoal, and pastel on Lokta handmade paper, he has developed a mostly linear style that addresses universal themes highlighting the human condition and the natural world. A friend recently commented on his drawings which successfully captures his intent:
Nice tension between open space and intense line work. You’ve used a very personalized flat graphic style to portray psychological depth, an excellent accomplishment!
Recently he has begun to paint in oils on both board and canvas, adding a new colorful dimension to his work. You’re invited to return often as he adds additional paintings to this fledgling portfolio.
Download Dave’s Bio-Artist Statement here: Hile_David_CV
