Art enthusiasts perusing Carbondale Arts’s 46th Annual Valley Visual Art Show might not notice the similarities between the goldfinch and raven displayed on the gallery’s left wall.
Separated by an ethereal acrylic sunflower, the likeness looks coincidental at first — a singular bird looking to the left, each in a black and gold frame, one ornate and one simple.
But if visitors take a closer look at the nameplates under each piece, they may see a familial connection — one piece was created by Carbondale artist Hilary Brock, and the other by her 14-year-old daughter, Claire.
Hilary’s piece — “Goldfinch” — is a striking, visually split painting made from recycled art.
Although she’s a lifelong artist, Hilary took a 20-year hiatus from painting to focus on photography. Recently, she began to pick up her brush again.
As a student, Hilary reused canvases to save money. The habit resurfaced when she created “Goldfinch.”
“In the past, I had done my art as a poor student,” Hilary said. “I would have to reuse the same canvases over and over. I really liked unfolding and exposing what’s underneath and that becoming part of the piece.”
She found the piece’s ornate gold frame, highlighting an old still life painting, in ReStore, Habitat for Humanity’s second-hand home goods store.
Hilary meticulously scraped paint and layered textures, using her artistic vision to transform the old piece. She experimented with the painting several times before achieving her final vision — a vibrant yellow and black goldfinch gently resting on a branch.
Birds have always inspired Hilary, and she often incorporates them into her work. “I find them to be fascinating creatures, really beautiful and elegant,” she said. “It’s the freeness and the flight of birds that’s interesting to me, and the anatomy. They’re just fun to draw and paint.”
The bottom half of the painting is shrouded in a layer of black. If gallery visitors examine the “Goldfinch” closely, they’ll notice hidden lines of cursive writing — Hilary included a poem she wrote, now barely visible, in the bottom portion of the piece.
“My art has always had writing and design. I’ve always liked that,” she said. “I’m really inspired by street art, so I love the graffiti and the inclusion of words in my art.”
As a former art teacher, some of Hilary’s proudest moments were witnessing her students’ triumphs, sharing in their joy when their work won awards, was featured in shows or displayed in the student gallery.
“Seeing them light up and glow was what I’d be most proud of,” Hilary said.
Now, Hilary gets to revel in the success of one of her oldest students — her daughter, Claire.
To the right of Hilary’s “Goldfinch” hangs Claire’s intricate drawing of a mystical black raven. Glimpses of color shimmer within the raven’s feathers, its head encircled by a halo of gold foil and its eyes gleaming with life-like intelligence.
While each of their work is striking in their own way, it’s evident that Claire shares her mother’s artistic flair.
“I have four kids and three of them are really into art,” Hilary said. “It’s really neat to see their unique styles.”
Hilary has nurtured Claire’s artistic inclinations from a young age, and they often create together, sometimes spending hours capturing bits of nature in watercolor depictions. Claire eagerly learns from her mother, and Hilary finds joy in witnessing Claire’s unique interpretation come to life.
“Her style is very realistic and that’s not necessarily what I do,” Hilary said. “It’s an interesting juxtaposition of different takes on the same thing.”
While Claire enjoys experimenting with a variety of mediums, including knitting and beading, colored pencils have captured her heart.
Claire, who’s interested in becoming a veterinarian, has been honing her craft by drawing animals, paying meticulous attention to detail. Unafraid to venture out of her comfort zone, she’ll watch online tutorials and teach herself new techniques, intentionally expanding her artistic skill set.
This is the first time Claire’s work has been featured in an exhibit outside of school. Her drawing, “Raven,” sold last week, and she was recently accepted into the Carbondale Arts Creative Apprentice Program.
Hilary, who encouraged Claire to enter the show, had faith in her daughter’s talent and wholeheartedly believed her artwork would be accepted.
“I thought it was a neat challenge and it’s always nice to have your artwork displayed,” Hilary said. “Most of the time it’s only us who sees what she does, but I think that she deserves a bigger audience.”
Hilary and Claire’s artwork can be viewed at the 46th Annual Valley Visual Art Show through Feb. 20. The show is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday at Carbondale Arts Gallery, 74 South Fourth St., Carbondale.