Muffy Clark Gill

Artist:  Muffy Clark Gill

Genre:  Realism

Medium:  Batik, rezome, mixed media and painting

Her Art:

Muffy Clark Gill uses the ancient wax and dye process known as batik and its sister Japanese process rozome along with mixed media, painting and photography to create her art. She creates images that convey feelings of dichotomy and combine her love of color with her life experiences.

She starts each batik by drawing the scene on stretched habitae silk with a fine pencil. “All of the white areas are waxed by drawing with an Indonesian style tool known as a tjanting ( or canting),” Gill explains. “Individual garments were then outlined.”

She then adds successive layers of color.

“By the time I add all of my colors, the whole painting is coated with wax.”

Gill then removes the wax from the painting with an iron and repeated changes of absorbing newsprint. “It is then wrapped in more newsprint into a jellyroll shape for steaming. A final wash is done to remove excess dye from the silk before mounting the painting to a canvas support for hanging. Another labor of love!”

Exhibitions

During a career spanning more nearly three decades, Gill has enjoyed 21 solo exhibitions (including shows at such prestigious venues as the Marco Island Historical Museum, Wirtz Gallery in the First National Bank of of South Miami, Falciglia Gallery at International College, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida and the Art Lab at Florida Gulf Coast University) and been included in 66 state, regional and national juried and invitational exhibitions and festivals throughout Florida. The latter have produced more than 45 individual awards, including Best in Show, merit and purchase awards conferred by internationally-renowned professionals in the contemporary art field such as Diane Cambier, Bonnie Clearwater, Elaine Gustafson, Donald Kuspit, Ned Rifkin, Faith Ringgold and Daniel Stetson.

Permanent Collections

Gill’s work can be found in the permanent collections of the Florida Department of State, Naples Philharmonic Center for the Arts, Florida Gulf Coast University, South Florida State College Museum of Art & Culture, Seminole Historical Society and Museum, Collier County Museum, Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples, Marco Island Historical Museum, Naples Art Association and Museum of the Everglades, as well as numerous private and corporate collections including those maintained by Whole Foods, Northern Trust Bank, Physicans Regional Medical Center and Lely Development Corporation.

Reviews and Features

Gill’s work has been reviewed in The Naples Daily News, Fort Myers News Press, Gulfshore Life Magazine, Bonita Living Magazine, The Journal of Surface Design Association and WGCU Public Media’s Expressions Magazine. In 2001, Gill was featured in the book Batik for Artists and Quilters by Eloise Piper (Hand Books Press) and in 1997, she received national recognition when her work was selected for the Top 100 National Arts for the Parks competition, a national traveling exhibition.

Education

Originally from Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, Muffy Clark Gill received her B.F.A. in Graphic Design from Boston University. She also completed the commercial art program at Morris County, New Jersey and classes at the DeCordova Museum School in Lincoln, Massachusetts.

March 28, 2021.