Self Portrait

Oil Sketch on Canvas 24 x 36

Painted in 1982

Keith Hill has been building harpsichords, clavichords,fortepianos, and violins for 33 years. His ventures into painting began with soundboard decorations and lid paintings in the 17th and 18th century styles. However, when he took up violin making 28 years ago, he realized that he knew nothing about varnish. After having used all the commercially available violin varnishes, he decided to make his own varnish. So, in order to better acquaint himself with the materials used for making varnish, he took up painting.

58 experiments later, he succeeded in building a varnish that fulfilled all of the acoustical, historical, and scientific standards established in the 18th century for what a good varnish should be. But his interest in painting did not abate. He has painted pictures since then primarily to study how the eye sees and how the brain makes sense of what the eye sees. Not until the last 6 years did his interest in painting become more serious. That occurred as his insights into perception eventually became focused and more certain.

As is his practice, he applies everything he learns in one area to all other areas of knowledge which interest him. The Universal Principles he uncovered while building harpsichords he applies to the art of painting.

You can see from his decorations at: decorations.keithhillharpsichords.com that his understanding of historical styles is broad and far ranging. He treats decoration with the same seriousness as he does his paintings and his instrument making.

What is unique about his approach to art is his understanding and insistance on the presence of affect...that is, suggestion of emotion of state of mind...in all of his work. If you are interested to know more about this go to: musicalratio.com and read about it there.