Jeffrey Hills Biography
Jeffrey Hills has quickly become known as a premier woodworker in the Taos art community. In 2009 Taos Invites Taos honored Jeffrey as a "Living Master". He recently completed a commissioned coffee table, which has been published in Fine Woodworking Magazine, for artists David A Leffel and Sherrie McGraw, who gravitated to Hills' artistic abilities. Leffel is quick to extend his praise, "Jeffrey's sense of proportion and contrast of the woods which play off each others qualities; colors and grain patterns are just two of the reasons why I wanted one of his pieces in my home." Furthermore, Leffel goes on to say, "Hills listened to our input about design, woods, colors, and our aesthetic. He then designed and masterfully built this piece of furniture for us. Hills' table is a museum piece, a work of art."
Hills explains further his artistic approach to Leffel's piece, "In designing and crafting this table I sought to bring out the 'spirit' that is within the wood, while honoring my calling as a fine craftsman and designer."
In 2007 Hills built a Windward 16, an open hull sailboat. This was a challenging endeavor that tapped into his woodworking expertise. The sailboat, like his commissioned pieces, combines a variety of exotic woods: Spanish Cedar, Honduran Mahogany and Teak, marine grade Okume plywood from France and Sitka Spruce for the mast. After 325 hours, Hills, with help from Phyllis, his wife of 40 years, completed the sailboat in his Taos "boatyard" adjacent to his woodshop. In his down time he sails in lakes and reservoirs in New Mexico and Colorado.
Ed Sandoval and Ann Huston are Taos artists who crossed paths with Hills and have commissioned multiple pieces. "Jeffrey's craftsmanship and designs of furniture go beyond the norm. The use of unusual woods from around the world puts Jeffrey in the spotlight! If you can build a boat you can build anything!" That is exactly what Hills did. Hills has also worked extensively for Taos artists Ouray Meyers, Richard Nichols, Ron Barsano and Thom Wheeler.
Jeffrey looks forward to continuing his work as a high-end furniture maker and designer in his woodworking studio. He enjoys working on commissioned pieces, bringing out for his clients their ideas and melding them with materials, which will bring the piece to life and make it their own. His greatest satisfaction comes from designing and building legacy furniture, where aesthetics, wood engineering and master craftsmanship come together to build a piece of furniture that can be handed down one generation to another.
 Updated 06/08/2011 |
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