Interview with an Artist: Jillian Goldberg, “Wildflowers of Israel”
Hyiscyamus Reticulatus, inks and watercolors
Today, we interviewed local artist Jillian Goldberg. Jillian has been teaching art classes at the JCC (and she was our Executive Director Phil Brodsky’s childhood art teacher!)
Q: What is your background in the arts?
A: I studied fine art and art education in Cape Town at the University and taught art for over thirty years at all levels. When I retired in 2006, I began to do my own work full time and have since taken many workshops and classes over the years. I still try to explore new media and techniques and am currently busy with altered books and book arts.
Q: How did you come to Raleigh?
A: We immigrated from South Africa in 1982 and moved to Charlotte where my husband had family. I created a summer camp program for gifted children and opened seven art schools in the Charlotte and Triangle areas. I sold my business in 2002 to a startup education program in Raleigh and moved here to help run things. My husband’s work also brought him to the area. We love the area and all the diverse opportunities and people and events that we can enjoy here. While in Charlotte I taught art classes and ran summer camps at the JCC campus as well as at Queens University and other venues.
Q: Where do you find inspiration?
A: Everywhere! Nature, music, words, poetry, color theory, new media, other artists, travel. I am constantly collecting ideas and often get up at 2 am to work in my studio! So much to learn and to explore!
Q: What types of media do you like to use?
A: My favorite is acrylic on big canvases. I love collage too.
Q: What inspired you to create the Wildflowers of Israel series?
A: A friend of mine had taken a class in colored pencils with me last fall. She loved coloring flowers and wanted to continue. She discovered a National Library of Israel article about artist Bracha Avigad’s wildflowers, the ones she drew for posters for Israel’s ad campaign to get people to stop picking wildflowers. Since the Counting of the Omer (the period between Passover and Shavuot) was coming up, my friend decided to draw a flower a day during that period. She called it the 49 Days of Blessings Challenge, as a reference to Bracha’s name, which means “blessing.” After hearing about her project, I decided to participate by creating my own flowers!
Q: Is there anything else you would like our readers to know about you?
A: I am a grandmother of five, and live with my husband of 53 years in Cary. My dog is a mutt, but similar to a Carolina dog which is an indigenous American dog going back thousands of years! We enjoy music and opera and travel and I like to cook which is just as well as my husband is not domesticated. He does offer tech support though!
To see more of Jill’s art, visit her website.
Are you a professional or amateur artist and want to meet fellow creatives in your community? Come to Chagall Society’s Summer Soiree on Zoom on July 11th at 4pm! To register, click here.