Still Life Project
Artist: J.D. Hillberry
J.D. Hillberry has a natural ability and strong desire to draw surfaced early in his life. While growing up in Wyoming, he began developing his own techniques of blending charcoal and graphite to give a photo realistic look to his drawings. J. D. uses this monochromatic medium to focus the viewer's attention to the drama of light, shadow, and texture without the added influence of color. Throughout his career, He has tried to push the limits of realistic expression with drawing. After moving to Colorado in 1989, Hillberry began experimenting with trompe l'oeil drawings. Traditionally, this type of artwork is done with oils, but he has successfully rendered images so realistically, they fool the eye into thinking that real objects are displayed in a shadow box frame. Working out of his studio in Erie, Colorado, J. D. Hillberry continues to expand the public's perception of drawing.