Bio
Jillian grew up in Long Island, New York. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from West Virginia University, graduating Summa Cum Laude with a focus in painting and art education. She holds a certification to teach art, pre-k through 12th grade. Jillian’s love of art began when she could hold a pencil and continued to be her focus throughout her education and career.
In 2011, Jillian opened an art studio in the Appalachian mountains of Maryland. There she created landscape paintings, commissioned portraits, as well as offered classes and lessons to children and adults.
J.F. Mazur Studio, relocated to Santa Fe, New Mexico in May of 2016.
Prior to moving to New Mexico, Jillian attended a portrait painting workshop at Studio Escalier in Argenton-Chateau, France. Her initial studies with Michelle Tully and Timothy Stotz in 2015 opened many doors, literally and metaphorically. Falling in love with the classical tradition of drawing and painting Studio Escalier offered lead her to pursue education at The Ryder Studio in Santa Fe, NM under the tutelage of Tully’s and Stotz’s colleagues, Tony and Celeste Ryder. Jillian completed a nine month atelier in portrait painting and figure drawing at The Ryder Studio in May 2016. She’s continued to attend seasonal ateliers and intensives at both, Studio Escalier and The Ryder Studio.
Dedicated to her personal growth as an artist and teacher, Jillian works on landscape and portrait collections at her studio in Santa Fe and monitors for figure painting workshops lead by her husband, Toby Hall, in New Mexico and abroad.
“With my paintings I invite my audience to see how I see and feel how I feel. Like most artists, I simply aim to capture what I think is beautiful in this world and share it.”
Jillian lives with her husband, Toby, daughter, Sylvie and their two cats, Bleu and Poppy in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
CV
Khamsa, oil and gold leaf on linen, 2022
Artist Statement
The Golden thread
The idea of a golden thread (that which links our experiences and synchronizes our relationships) is deeply embedded in the process of working from life with my sitters, as well as the practice of gilding elements of the paintings. Gilding is my way of exploring figure-ground relationships and representing the part of the human existence that words cannot express.
It is impossible to say that my work with children hasn’t equally influenced my artistic process. As a passionate art teacher to children for the past thirteen years, I continually watch their approach to creation in awe. When it comes to concept, my sole inspiration is how a child’s essence can somehow bubble to the surface of anything they make. Their ideas flow freely. They are present in every precious moment of their artwork. I try to reach the same level of presence while creating my own work.
“Sometimes I’ll work on a landscape and it expresses much more than a pretty sky, mountain view, etc. Looking back on paintings from different times in my life, I feel the power of grief, love, hope/faith coming through the paintings more effectively than they ever would have if I had intended to portray these emotions from the beginning.”