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Creativity expands for artistic couple
(by Sue Reid - March 17, 2011)
Creativity expands for artistic couple
By SUE REID
When it comes to their recent involvement in two public art projects, Solon residents and artists Ron and Margie Hill like to think big -- 5 feet tall, to be exact.
That is the size of two sculptures the couple are creating, one as part of the Gnomes and Gardens project for the Holden Arboretum in Kirtland and the other as part of the St. Clair Superior Corp.'s Year of the Rabbit art event in Cleveland.
"We've gotten good at painting giant things," said Mr. Hill, an interactive media instructor at Alliance High School and a caricaturist and cartoonist.
In fact, Mrs. Hill, a teacher's assistant at Arthur Road Elementary School with a background in commercial art, said she and her husband are like the "Sonny and Cher of painting."
Graduates of Solon High School, the Hills found the not-so-attainable spare time to begin painting each other's ideas a few years back, which led to these recent collaborations.
For Gnomes and Gardens, the Hills brought Mrs. Hill's idea to life -- a 5-foot-tall Fiberglas gnome sculpture called Johnny Applegnome.
"Margie's idea for 'Johnny Applegnome' was a 'gno-brainer,' considering that the Holden Arboretum has an apple tree from a cutting of a John Chapman tree in their collection," Mr. Hill said. Her inspiration also came from trips to the arboretum as a child with her family for hikes as well as a Halloween costume their middle son, Chay, wore at a party at Ohio State University. He wore a pot on his head like Johnny Appleseed was supposed to in the legends, the Hills explained.
It was Mr. Hill's idea that led to "Ribbit," the giant rabbit sculpture for the Chinese Year of the Rabbit exhibit.
The Hills' gnome is one of 20 selected from a field of nearly 100 artist submissions. The rabbit is one of 25 selected, also from nearly 100 submissions.
Both pieces are on display throughout the summer at the Arboretum and the Asia Town neighborhood on Cleveland's east side.
"We like creating things together," Mrs. Hill said of what is most fulfilling of her and her husband's collaborations.
"I think it's a way for us to do something together," Mr. Hill said. "We are both so busy. It's an opportunity to have fun with something different besides the art we do for our jobs or teaching."
Mr. Hill is a freelance artist for the Armchair Theologian series and editorial cartoonist for the Times for the past 12 years. Mr. Hill is also involved with the Northern Ohio Illustrators Society and the National Cartoonists Society.
This is not the first time the couple has collaborated on a public art project. In 2007, they painted guitars as part of the United Way's Guitarmania project, based on Mrs. Hill's idea of rock and roll legends who passed in their prime. They called it "Great Gig in the Sky."
In 2009, Mrs. Hill painted Mr. Hill's idea for a Year of the Ox sculpture, "I, Robotox." That came about after Mr. Hill came home late from a meeting, and found that his wife had started filling in the color on the Ox sculpture from his layout.
"She said if I didn't like it, I could paint over it," Mr. Hill recalled. "I thought it was great, and pretty soon she wouldn't let me paint without making sure I did it as well as she did." While they both paint on the pieces, Mrs. Hill does most of the finish painting.
Last year, the Hills worked on another Chinese New Year animal, "Emerald Tiger," for the Year of the Tiger, which was a tribute to the Cleveland Metroparks system known locally as the Emerald Necklace.
"It's cool to be involved with other artists," Mr. Hill said. "A lot of our friends have gotten to do these, also. They also benefit worthy causes in the community.
"We just answer Call for Artists as these projects come up," Mr. Hill continued. "Then we brainstorm ideas and turn in the layouts. We've been lucky to get selected for everything we've worked on together.
"Before that, I was getting half of my ideas for guitars chosen," Mr. Hill said of his 2002 involvements with Guitarmania. "Shoulda worked together earlier."
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