Sonora woman headed to Mendocino Art Center

Sonora artist Tracey Hillman works with various mediums, including clay, paper and mosaics. (Amy Alonzo Rozak/The Union Democrat)

  Since she first picked up a piece of clay at age 8, Hillman has been drawn to the medium that she says allows her to reach out to other humans and evoke a response.

    “I picked up clay and made a mother-daughter sculpture. I just knew what to do with it,” Hillman, 54, explained. “I was at ease with it.”

    Her innate ability to create may be genetic. Her grandmother, who studied art in Paris and created tiny points of watercolor on ivory, has one of her miniatures on display in a museum in Philadelphia, according to Hillman, who is from Pennsylvania.

  Hillman, who is also an accomplished musician, will depart from Sonora at the end of August to begin a nine-month program as an artist-in-residence at the Mendocino Art Center 150 miles north of San Francisco.

   The center, which has served as a retreat for artists and students for more than 40 years, provides a sanctuary for creativity, removed from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

  Hillman will live, study, create and hopefully teach while there.

 “I made a little wish that once my kids grew up, I would do an artist-in-residence at the Mendocino Art Center,” Hillman said. “I started taking classes there 20 years ago. I love the area.”

Now that her two daughters are grown with families of their own, the timing is finally right, she said.

During her nearly 30 years in Tuolumne County, Hillman has enjoyed teaching art classes including mosaic, papier-mache, ceramic construction and jewelry making, through the Central Sierra Arts Council, at various schools and at Twain Harte Pharmacy. She hopes to fine-tune her teaching skills while in residence.

“Through teaching I can share my love of art,” she explained.  “I love seeing students when they get inspired.”

Her own artistic inspiration is born of need, rather than a desire, to create, she said.

“It’s what I am supposed to be doing,” Hillman said.  It’s what I am best at.”

One of her art pieces, a colorful mosaic depicting a starry night, hangs in her kitchen, while various sculptures, bas relief paper castings, ceramic pieces, paintings, spirit houses and affirmation altars adorn the walls and nooks and crannies in her home.

“They are for people to reflect,” said Hillman, regarding the affirmation altars. “The spirit houses are a small area to devote to sanctuary.”

Her artwork means a great deal to her and bears witness to her seemingly endless creativity.

“That’s one of my favorites,” she said, pointing to a mosaic with three wooden trees in it. “It’s made from pieces of plates, vases, tile and some of my own artwork I saved for other projects.”

The creative process is something Hillman is fascinated by and enjoys watching unfold.

“It allows for serendipitous events,” she laughed.
 

Using a ceramic slab roller technique she developed, Hillman created a mosaic with surprising results.

What emerged after rolling the clay was a figure of a man sitting on a flower.

“He had hands and everything,” Hillman smiled. “I threw scraps on top and it just came out.”
Every piece she has created tells a story of her artistic journey and has ultimately led to the fruition of a 20-year dream of an artist-in-residency in coastal Mendocino.

“When I am sitting and doing anything creative I get a feeling of contentment that washes over me. Some people call it bliss,” she said.   

“Through art I will continue to live a rich life. I feel very lucky.”   

     Contact Rebecca Howes at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 588-4540