HILL James

HILL James

A person smiling at a table Description automatically generated                                            James Hill photo taken in 1952 while he was working on his first magazine cover. It was commissioned by Canadian Home Journal. <pintteres.ca/pin/Canadian illustrator-james-hill>

“James Hill (1930-2004) of Hamilton had a major influence on his field. …. Named Artist of the Year by the Guild of American Artists in 1966, he earned two gold medals from the New York based Society of Illustrators.                                            Details. 3, March/April 2018.

Born 1930 in Hamilton Ontario.

He was active in the 1950’s and 1960s. He illustrated many magazines and book covers. His work was instrumental in successful commercial campaigns like Heinz, Imperial Oil and Chargex.

The background notes that Maclean’s included with many of Jame’s cover paintings described just how much he altered the reality to achieve the image he wanted. One such description was given in the Maclean’s 1 March 1953 issue:

“LAST FALL, we published a cover painting which showed two nuns shepherding a group of children up a lonely street in a Quebec town. A lot of people wrote to us to praise the cover and ask about the artist. Several also said they recognized the street but couldn’t place it specifically. Unfortunately we couldn’t either because the street doesn’t exist. Like most of James Hill’s paintings the subject matter was familiar yet elusive. Six months before he did the painting, Hill had seen two nuns and a group of children in Montreal. The image stayed with him and he finally put it on the canvas but, unlike many artists, he used no notes or sketches.                                                            ‘I meant to make some sketches,’ Hill tells us, ‘but it was too cold. When I came to paint it I just remembered it.’”

While illustrating for Maclean’s, he developed a new technique which replaced paint with sheets of coloured plastic. He would cut the sheets of plastic to the shape he wanted then lay them over the black and white artwork to get the effect he wanted. This method was used for content not covers.

He died 3 February 2004 in Toronto.

On 5 April 2018, Canada Post honoured this illustrator with a first day cover and a commemorative stamp.

WORK:

ILLUSTRATOR:

BOOK GRAPHIC ANTHOLOGY:

Content portrait:

Gothic Tales of Haunted Love. Ed., H. Nicholson & S.M. Beiko. Bedside Press, 2018: Untitled.182. Reproduced by permission of estate.

BOOK TEXT:

Content biography & Cover dust jacket front:

True North. Writ., T. C. Fairley & Charles E. Israel. Macmillan of Canada, 1957.

PERIODICAL TEXT:

Content history:

Maclean’s, 8 November 1958: “Maclean’s Flashback: When Vancouver Turned Back The Sikhs”. Writ., Ray Gardner: 30, 31.

Content story:

Maclean’s, 1 February 1953: “A Man’s Got to Lie Once in a While”. Writ., Vera Johnson: 20-21.

Maclean’s, 1 August 1953: “STOP Don’t Put Your Heart On A Horse”. Writ., Sidney Katz: 21.

Maclean’s, 15 September 1953: “Give the Bride a kiss, George”. Writ., James McNamee: 16-17.

Maclean’s, 15 October 1953: “Enigma in Ebony”. Writ., Earle Birney: 16-17.

Maclean’s, 15 March 1954: “Brian Boru”. Writ., Sean O’Faolain”: 16-17.

Maclean’s, 15 July 1954: “The Race For The Donkerbos Diamonds”. Writ., John Karl: 12-13.

Maclean’s, 15 September 1954: “The Shipwrecked Moneybelt”. Writ., Peter Freuchen: 20, 21.

Maclean’s, 9 June 1956: “The secret of the stolen love letters”. Writ., Robin White: 30-31.

Maclean’s, 25 May 1957: “The Inter-Galaxy Beauty Contest”.  Writ., Robert Zacks: 24-25.

Maclean’s, 28 September 1957: “The Dance Of The Bells”. Writ., Ann Mary Maud Henry: 29-29.

Maclean’s, 15 March 1958: “The Non-Taxable Loves Of Mrs. Ollenberger”. Writ., P. B. Hughes: 20-21.

Maclean’s, 6 December 1958: “The Testing Of Jerome Martell”. Writ., Hugh MacLennan: 16-17, 18-19. This excerpt from The Watch That Ends The Night appeared in Maclean’s before the novel was published by Macmillan of Canada.

Content essay & Cover front:

Maclean’s, 22 December 1956: “What the Dead Sea Scrolls mean to the Christian faith”. Writ., Eric Hutton: 8-9.

Content story & Cover front:

Maclean’s, 15 October 1954: “The Curse of the Mambo”. Writ., Victor Chapin: 34-35.

Content memoir & Cover front:

The City, Toronto Star Sunday Magazine, Dec. 23, 1979: “I Remember Christmas.” Writ., Thomas Allen: 6-9, 16.

Cover front: 

Maclean’s,….
…, 15 January 1954.

 

…, 1 March 1954.

 

…, 1 May 1954. “Birdwatchers”.

 

…, 1 August 1954.

 

 

…, 14 May 1955. “Young Tars & An Old Salt”.

 

…, 26 November 1955.

 

…, 23 November 1957. “Frobisher Bay”.

 

…, 2 August 1958: “Unloading Supplies Frobisher Bay”.

SOURCE:

Article book:

Gothic Tales of Haunted Love. Ed., H. Nicholson & S.M. Beiko. Bedside Press, 2018: “Creators: James Hill: 214.

Article periodical:

Details. 3, March/April 2018: “Great Canadian Illustrators”: 6-7. Canada Post Corp.

Maclean’s, 1 March 1954: “In Editor’s Confidence: Hill in Oils … Hill in Plastic: 63.

Internet:

pintteres.ca/pin/Canadian illustrator-james-hill

GALLERY:

A person holding a mirror Description automatically generated                                                             Maclean’s, 1 March 1954: 63.

A picture containing text, book Description automatically generatedThe True North, 1957: Front cover.