Emma Dillon Hill
Emma Dillon Hill applies soft pastels onto paper to create forms, lines and shapes with a dream-like quality. This is abstract art filled with emotion.
Words: Hande Renshaw
Delilah Layer Painting - Ochre, Pink and Black by Emma Dillon Hill. Photo: Emma Dillon Hill
“I love simple shapes and lines and the way that lets the colour do the talking, they create the structure for the colour to express itself,” says Emma Dillon Hill. Photo: Robby Bennett
Although creative from a young age, it wasn’t until Sydney-based artist Emma Dillion Hill studied at the National Art School (NAS) that she realised she could make a career from what she considers her true calling.
“Going to art school made me realise you can be an artist,” she says. “I knew straight away it was the life for me. Nothing ever felt difficult; I felt free and like I’d finally found my thing.”
The emotional connection art elicits in the viewer is an important consideration in Emma’s work.
“I find all art tells a story, always explaining its purpose – but there’s something about abstract art that makes me take a breath; it stops you and makes you feel. It’s not about what it’s trying to say; it’s about what it’s not saying.”
Taking inspiration from pretty much anything in her immediate environment and also by art greats such as Helen Frankenthaler and Ellsworth Kelly, ideas for new pieces are never too far away.
“I find a huge amount of inspiration from daily life to be honest, I sometimes dream of paintings too, which is fun,” she laughs.
“Going to art school made me realise you can be an artist, and I knew straight away it was the life for me,” says Emma Dillon Hill. Photo: Emma Dillon Hill
Emma’s creative process is fluid and unforced with nothing planned in advance.
“I’m a fast worker so I can create a lot of work in one day and then need a mental break from it for a few days after. I feel like I give a lot to my work, so it makes sense that it takes a lot from me too.”
With the guidance of her partner, artist Robby Bennett, Emma’s style has recently taken a new direction, which accounts for the dream-like, ethereal quality of her current collection.
“I’ve discovered a few new techniques and materials that have completely changed my work – the softness of the paper and the soft pastels I use now are creating a new quality.”
With a photographer’s eye, Emma is particularly conscious of gradient and tone and how to achieve balance using different colours. She finds herself looking at colour wherever she goes.
“I take photos of combinations; seeing the harmony that’s created when certain colours sit next to each other. I just want to make beautiful work that makes you feel something.”
Photo: Emma Dillon Hill
Photo: Emma Dillon Hill
“I love the conversation between the colours and mark making, and how it can evoke so many different feelings in you,” says Emma Dillon Hill. Photo: Emma Dillon Hill
“I find all art tells a story, always explaining to you its purpose, but there’s something about abstract art that makes me take a breath. It stops you and makes you feel.”
