Here’s to the Hills

On 1st April 1972 the doors of an ambitious new business venture in Holt, Norfolk, opened to the public for the first time.

This spring, The Gallery in Lees Yard celebrated its 50th anniversary under the ownership of Clare and Adrian Hill FRSA. Following in the footsteps of his grandparents and parents, Adrian now represents the third generation to be involved with the ongoing development of this highly respected family business.

An evening of champagne, music and cake was held for family, friends and colleagues on 1st April this year and while the weather was not kind, a brilliant time was had by all.

The award-winning gallery lies in the heart of the historic Georgian town centre and is renowned for its continual programme of fine exhibitions interspersed with major solo shows. While refurbishments and rebranding exercises have evolved over the years, The Gallery has retained its unique display system and continues to further its deep-rooted links with the local community.

Alongside The Gallery are the bespoke picture framing services of Picturecraft of Holt which were built from the humble foundations of a hobby in the early 1960s by Ruth and John Hill. It was when their son Michael officially joined his parents on leaving Fakenham Grammar School in 1968 that the rapid growth of the business was to see the integration of artists’ materials and a small ‘homespun’ gallery. It was the success of these interlinking, art-related businesses that secured the purchase of the Lees Yard site in 1971 for £9,750. One of the major buildings on the site became The Picturecraft Gallery - subsequently renamed The Gallery, Holt in September 2019.

The Gallery has attracted artists and visitors from all over the world, including a visit from L. S. Lowry RBA RA in 1973. It remains at the forefront of promoting fine art and continues to enjoy worldwide interest through its close association with Kieron Williamson – whose work has regularly been exhibited (most recently earlier in July). Other events scheduled for 2022 include a pastel exhibition featuring selected Members of the Pastel Society in August, a major solo exhibition in oils by Graham Webber ROI IEA in September and a “Best of British 2.0” mixed media exhibition in the autumn.

Coastal 241 000 137

Grandfather’s Pipe. The 40mm rebate depth of Larson-Juhl 292 630 Oiled Steel Anvil II could not have been more perfectly suited for this interesting project. The customer wished to feature the pipe sitting inside its leather case which provided a most attractive layout design.

Speciality anti-glare glass was supported by a bespoke foamcore upstand covered with the identical colour mountboard to the background. Set of Snooker Balls

A fascinating project demanding of ingenuity and a concealed support system to overcome the combined weight of a full set of snooker balls. The requirement to provide a simple but highly effective presentation was only made possible by the strength of Larson-Juhl’s 411 000 167 Black 29mm Coastal Woods with its incredible 67mm rebate depth. The use of speciality glass was especially successful for this particular project.

The Picasso connection

In the pipeline, Adrian is curating the second exhibition by Lydia Corbett at the Mall Galleries in London, featuring over 120 paintings. A renowned French artist, still painting at 87, Lydia initially rose to fame as ‘Sylvette David’ one of Picasso’s muses whom he painted as the ‘Girl with the ponytail’.

Picturecraft

Despite recently turning 70, Michael and his wife Teresa remain very actively involved on a day-to-day basis as joint directors of Picturecraft of Holt Limited.

4walls was delighted to speak to Michael, who explained: “My role these days, apart from administration, is to personally undertake highly specialised framing orders which are particularly demanding of time and ingenuity.

“My connection with Larson-Juhl stems back to the very earliest days of Arquati UK, subsequently Arqadia before becoming Larson-Juhl, and I have enjoyed a very good business association and friendship with the team over the years, latterly working with John Green.

“I have always been deeply impressed with the quality and consistency of Larson-Juhl mouldings. We frame for a very discerning customer base who entrust quite diverse, complex and valuable items into our care. It is essential that we have reliable sources at our fingertips to obtain framing materials which can meet the very highest expectations of finish.

“Recognising that artists sometimes look at ways to ‘cut corners’ with regards to saving framing costs, I was particularly disappointed to see a leaning towards the acceptance of oil paintings on canvas being displayed without any frame. Thankfully, this practice now appears to have been surpassed with the modern trend of tray frames but, in my opinion, there has never been anything aesthetically pleasing about viewing the outer edge of a canvas! “I am saddened to see a trend towards using narrow frames, particularly with respect to oil paintings. We have encouraged artists to ‘look again’ at their work and have used the Larson-Juhl 84mm Coastal 241 000 137 Ivory to tremendous effect in order to prove the point. Its contemporary clean appearance underlies its traditional profile and the use of slips can also incorporate an additional dimension. Where professional artists have stepped-up to use this moulding - for even the smallest paintings - they have been quick to see sales of their work dramatically increase.

Michael Hill and Teresa Hill (Picturecraft of Holt Limited) with their son Adrian Hill FRSA and daughter-in-law Clare Hill (The Gallery, Holt and Adrian Hill Fine Art Limited)

“Having been a professional picture framer since leaving school in 1968, you could say it has been a ‘life-sentence’! But I absolutely love it – and am so pleased and proud that the family is involved, taking the business forward in such an entrepreneurial and creative way.

“I have seen trends in framing come and go, and sometimes return again, but I am greatly encouraged to see the demand for ‘traditional framing practices’ remaining firmly at the core of our business.

SweetArt by Simon Dry in 411 000 127 Coastal Woods

Frame within a frame

Collecting dead butterfly wings from the ground in Africa to portray images of native birds is a delicate art necessitating very careful handling. The customer’s specifications were to provide an impactful setting where Larson-Juhl’s 19mm Komodo 241 240 Red was used to close-frame the artwork (with speciality glass) to then be surrounded by the 261 240 deep rebate 26mm version.

“I find myself these days more in an advisory capacity to oversee complex specifications in order to provide explanations of the framing processes to customers and to prepare detailed framing instructions for the workshop staff.

“The challenges can sometimes whet the appetite for a more personal hands-on approach, and I have never lost the enthusiasm and interest to resolve some quite difficult projects myself - and the self-satisfaction to accomplish a particularly difficult assignment is incredibly rewarding.”

L. S. Lowry’s visit to The Gallery

Michael Hill vividly recalls Lowry’s unexpected visit to the gallery for he had no idea who this gentleman was at the time. It was only when Lowry asked to sign the Visitors Book that his identity was made known - which caused great amusement to Lowry!

https://thegalleryholt.com https://www.picturecraftofholt.co.uk