Jill Gill’s NYC Streetscapes Capture a Vanishing Era

Jill’s choice to focus on New York City holds a personal significance for her. “Manhattan is my hometown, and I feel a strong connection to it,” she shares .

“It’s my own territory, and I cherish the diverse, unplanned streets that evolved naturally, where people lived in walk-up apartments near the Third Avenue El, which came down in 1955.

“I capture, using watercolor and ink, the ordinary, non-remarkable blocks that preservationists don’t typically save but were crucial threads in the city’s fabric. Losing these simple blocks to glass and steel makes the city feel less personal.”

What makes Jill’s paintings charming is that they aren’t rigid, lifeless replicas of the world around her. Her portrayal of New York City in her artwork has a lively, somewhat chaotic quality, perfectly capturing the vibrancy and crowded streets of the Big Apple.

“My paintings come from the many photographs I take of a favorite block when I find out it’s going to be demolished. I take photos straight along the block so its details aren’t lost in perspective (which I never studied and don’t understand),” Jill explains.

“A painting might follow soon after, in the heat of passion, or it might wait for years to be created. I paint on my bed, with multiple photographs from different viewpoints spread around me. Being an English Major, discovering I can create these paintings is a mysterious process.”