| From the Artist
I know I’ve been blessed as an artist. I also know the joy I have, doing what I was meant to do. I discovered very early there was no difference between a blank page, a blank canvas, a blank wall or some old object. And it was while I was painting in my own home that I realized, “every surface is a canvas,” which has been my business trademark.
I love what I do. As an illustrator and painter, I’m genuinely fueled when I create something that looks realistic. As a decorative artist, the projects, techniques and unbelievable products can be overwhelming and there never seems to be enough time to execute all my ideas. And as a graphic designer, developing corporate identities or dynamic ad campaigns or marketing pieces allows me to combine color, shapes, images in an entirely different medium.
I love holding a brush or pencil. I love discovering new type fonts. I love being at an easel or on scaffolding. I love designing new packaging. I love mixing metallic plasters. Actually it's exciting and exhausting because the creative possibilities and resources are literally endless. I often feel as if I have multiple personalities. I can be covered in paint and in overalls for days and then suddenly be in a creative session with my laptop wearing a suit.
It’s about creating visual contentment. Working with all types of clients, other artisans, designers and vendors is so personally rewarding. I feel as if I’ve never left the classroom because with every person and situation, I learn. It may sound redundant but it’s simple. I love being an artist and creating. It’s a wonderful life with all the people and places that come into my life through my art. Every day is a creative adventure. I’m blessed to be able to say “I love my job.”
Bio
To know one's purpose early in life, is to most - enviable. Jil Gordon knew she was to be an artist. She said, "Ever since I saw images of the Sistine Chapel, I knew what I wanted to be." Starting young with an intense art curriculum, earning a BFA degree from the University of Michigan School of Art and Design and having trained under renowned artisans, Jil has flourished as a fine artist, illustrator and graphic designer. Success in the graphic arts and advertising industry has provided invaluable expertise in her business and creative evolution.
Jil founded Gordon & Group Design and in 1984 went west. With her skills she successfully blended fine art and illustration with graphic design and advertising in the heart of the high-tech industry. She was fortunate to work with clients such as Atari, Hewlett Packard, Visioneer, Aradigm, Synopsys and countless businesses and startups in Silicon Valley.
As business flourished and her passion for painting resurged, 1997 brought a new endeavor
with Walls of Wonder and Jil becoming a highly-skilled decorative artist. The desire for
realism and detail is clearly reflected in her work. Commissions for mural and trompe l'oeil creations and the endless array of specialty faux finishes have almost perfectly blended her skills and clearly demonstrate her trademark – "Every surface is a canvas.™"
2000 brought Jil's return to her Midwest roots and Michigan. Her decorative art expanded
to exclusive developments such as Bay Harbor and private residences statewide. Simultaneously
creating corporate identities, collateral, ad campaigns and retail-specific illustrations for clients
such as American Spoon Foods, The University of Michigan, Farbman Group and Intellx Inc.
Along with the move to Ann Arbor in 2009 came the change from Walls of Wonder to
FauxCreative, emphasizing a broader range of decorative services. Collaborating with interior
designers, custom builders and painting firms has resulted in fabulous creations, strong creative partnerships, personal inspiration and just plain fun.
More than ever, Jil believes the greatest pleasure she receives is not in the challenge,
accomplishment or grandeur of the completed works, but from the special relationships
and happiness created through her art.
Background
Birthplace
Detroit, MI
Education
Ted and Irene (parents), Mike, Gail, Ted, Lisa and Lynne
(siblings)
Bishop Borgess High School, Detroit, MI
University of Michigan, School of Art, Ann Arbor, MI - Bachelor
of Fine Arts
Faux Effects Academy - Seattle, WA - Private instruction
Nicola Vigini - Trompe l’Oeil
Faux Effects Academy - San Francisco, CA - Specialty decorative
finishes
Scottsdale School of Art, Phoenix, AZ - Private instruction
Gerald P. Hodge - Trompe l’Oeil
Experience
Montgomery Ward Corporate, Southfield, MI
- Layout/page designer, product illustrator
Advergraphics, Ann Arbor, MI
- Creative director, graphic designer, illustrator
Communications Concepts, Toledo, OH
- Production artist, graphic illustrator
Gordon & Group Design, Ann Arbor/Farmington Hills, MI
- Graphic designer, illustrator
Gordon & Group Design, Los Gatos/Campbell, CA
- Graphic designer, illustrator
Walls of Wonder, San Jose, CA
- Muralist, specialty decorative painter
Gordon & Group Design, Petoskey, MI
- Graphic designer, illustrator
Walls of Wonder, Petoskey, MI
- Muralist, specialty decorative painter
Jil Gordon – Fine Art, Petoskey, MI
- Private commissions for paintings and illustration
Current Location
FauxCreative, Ann Arbor, MI
Gordon & Group Design, Ann Arbor, MI
Jil Gordon - Fine Art, Ann Arbor, MI
Currently Exhibited
- The Inn at Bay Harbor, Bay Harbor, MI
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