Hilliard Krecker

Hilliard Krecker is a contemporary tonalist painter living and working in Aiken South Carolina. A native of Philadelphia Pennsylvania, Hilliard was influenced by a family of artists. His greatest influence at the time, his father, commercial artist Richard Krecker’s studio work.  As well as family friend Philadelphia artist Antonio Pietro Martino. His love of oil painting was immediate and Hilliard began his art major at thirteen and has been painting for over fifty years.

The love of the sea and the rolling landscapes that border it brought him to Martha’s Vineyard in the early 80’s where he lived and worked for 20 years. At this time his work as a carpenter/builder and marine carpenter was his creative outlet as he struggled to find time to continue with his painting. Coincidence brought renewed inspiration as Hilliard became acquainted with another Philadelphia native.  Renowned artist Ray Ellis had moved to Martha’s Vineyard. Hilliard, working as a carpenter, was putting the finishing touches on Ray’s new studio. The influence of Ray Ellis could be seen in Hilliard’s paintings of this period featuring sailboats, lighthouses and cottages.

Flash forward to today Hilliard Krecker continues to produce award winning oil paintings from his studio in Aiken, focusing on landscapes and seascapes. His artistic philosophy is best described in his own words. “ When I look at an oil painting I’m not looking for a realistic recreation of a particular scene. After all, we all see trees, fields or water right outside our windows. That’s what a photograph captures. An oil painting should portray the feeling, the emotion, that comes from a scene. At its best it should give you that hauntingly familiar feeling along with a bit of those not yet felt”.

Website: https://www.hilliardsgallery.com/works