Clyf Hull Design

Clyf Hull…hates talking of himself in the third person. Nonetheless, Mr. Hull (indeed!) began his artistic endeavors out of high school when he attended the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. After exactly one month, he decided that his time and money (especially his money) would be best spent on beer and jazz records – and right, he was. After about 2 years of drinking and philandering, he decided to get back to the art thing. He moved back in with his parents and, having wonderful senses of humour, they agreed to support him. During the following five years, he divided his time between painting canvases and illustrating comic stories (and beer. One doesn’t get much opportunity for philandering when one is an unemployed artist who lives with his parents - especially when they live in Isaac’s Harbour, Guysborough County.) He had some minor successes – had several exhibitions at galleries in Halifax and Antigonish and sold some pieces internationally. At the end of those five years, he was forced to admit to himself that, perhaps his dream of never having a real job was a tad unrealistic. And besides, he felt somewhat bereft of inspiration, with little to say. Deciding that it was probably time to actually experience life rather than just imagine it, he moved to the big city and got a job…in a bar (keeping that dream alive!) Since then, he’s left (and returned) to that particular job more times than he cares to remember. His return to painting, however, was only the once. After a couple of years at the bar, realizing that, perhaps this wasn’t real life after all, he decided to do some traveling here and there. One such place was France, where he was employed by a young English family to help renovate a chateau they had bought. Part of the experience was painting a fairly large number of large scale canvases to adorn the walls. He has not since returned to that form of artistic expression. As they say, “Once an artist, always an artist.” Well, they’re silly, but that didn’t stop our current subject of discussion from buying himself a digital camera in the fall of 2008. Since then, when the bar business will allow (still livin’ that dream) he tries to combine his passion for illustration with that of travel. In comparing his previous output with his photography, it is ironic (or at least notable) that the style at which he was most proficient was trompe l’oeil (“realism” for those mercifully unfamiliar with art-school jargon), whereas in his photography he purposely avoids a realistic perspective. In fact, some even look like ink drawings, or an impressionist painting until inspected more closely. He does tend to make things difficult for himself. He hopes that people will find in his present work, perspectives that differ greatly from that which we are accustomed. That is to say, that his images make us look at familiar (and even iconic) scenes in different ways. Or, you know, that they’re pretty. Clyf Hull(…is also very full of himself) If you are interested in a design that doesn't appear on the particular product you were looking for, please feel free to contact me and I will be happy to make it available for you. You can also follow his pointless ponderings in his blog "In Continents" at clyfhull.blogspot.com