By Emma Castleberry
Artist Alec Hall and his wife owned an 80-acre farm in rural Michigan for many years where they raised horses, burros, sheep, dairy goats, Angora goats and llamas, as well as a bevy of rescued dogs and cats. “Even though I started my art career as a wildlife artist,” Hall says, “I find that my art is now turning to painting many of the domestic animals that were a major part of my life on our farm. I cared for them every day and they left a lasting impression on my heart.”
Alec Hall in studio. Photo by Suzanne Camarata
The pandemic informed some of this shift in subject matter, as it allowed Hall to spend time in his studio reflecting on his interactions with these animals. “Many of my new pieces have become intimate portraits of those animals, with less emphasis on the surrounding environment,” he says. “It has been an unconscious change in perspective, and yet I find that these close-up, personal paintings draw me into the creative process and keep challenging me to bring my memories of these wonderful animals to life.”
Hall was a veterinarian before he became a full-time artist, and his career was divided into three phases: the first as an associate in a small animal practice after graduation; the second teaching in the veterinary college while earning a Masters and Ph.D. in Veterinary Pathology; and the third working in research for a pharmaceutical company. “I do not miss the daily stress and challenges of being a veterinarian,” he says, “but I do miss the close interactions and joy of working with multiple species of animals every day.”
Hall’s work has been featured twice on the cover of the The Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA), the national journal for veterinarians. His piece Looking Back was featured in September 2021, followed by One Jack Shy of a Full House, featured in March 2022. For Hall, who has been reading the journal since he was a senior in veterinary school in 1970, these features are a thrilling connection between his current and past careers. “This journal serves as my connection to my profession and to my colleagues throughout the US,” he says. “It is always a welcome sight in my mailbox. Thus, to have my paintings chosen is a true honor because I know what this periodical means to thousands of my colleagues, across several generations of DVMs.”
Hall and his wife moved to Hendersonville in 2014 and their menagerie has been reduced to just one lucky animal: a senior house cat who was a former rescue. The Halls are long-time supporters of the Best Friends Animal Society and also donate locally to the Blue Ridge Humane Society and The Sanctuary at Red Bell Run. “Anything we can do to end animal homelessness and abuse is important to us,” Hall says.
Hall was recently juried into the 2022 Hendersonville ArtScape Banner program for his painting The Ring-Master, and he also submitted two farm animal portraits for jury consideration in the 2022 North Carolina State Pastel Exhibit, which opens online on Monday, May 16. Hall is represented exclusively by The Gallery at Flat Rock. “The first time I saw Alec’s work I was mesmerized by the sensitive way he conveyed animals,” says gallery owner Suzanne Camarata. “I could just feel the emotion of the horses and other creatures. Two years later, I met him and invited him to join the gallery. We are honored to represent such a fine artist.”
For more information, visit GalleryFlatRock.com.
