BIO • STATEMENT
Hilary Kinney creates action portraits of athletes. Her large-scale paintings seem to capture the spirit of the players and the passion of the game itself. When S. F. 49er Jerry Rice first saw his six-foot likeness, his reaction was simply “WOW!”
Hilary’s background and training are as professional as the athletes she paints. She has a degree in Fine Art from the Maine College of Art, and also studied art at the Rhode Island School of Design and the California College of the Arts. She was a professional graphic designer in New York City and Chicago before settling in San Francisco 20 years ago.
Hilary’s sports art has been exhibited at galleries and commercial venues in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has worked in partnership with Steve Young’s Forever Young Foundation and Ronnie Lott’s Allstars Helping Kids. Her work in support of an American Cancer Society Auction resulted in eight life-size action portraits of the San Francisco 49ers.These paintings can now be seen in restaurants, hospitals, private offices and residences in San Francisco.
Her color portraits of the players are at least six feet tall. She paints on large rolls of heavy watercolor paper, with over 30 layers of chalk pastel and gouache paint. While the paintings capture the essence of figures in movement, the faces are so recognizable that people often mistake them for photographs.
Hilary Kinney lives with her family in San Anselmo, CA. For more information, or to talk to her about commissioning portraits of your own favorite team, contact Hilary at: info@hilarykinneysportsart.com.