paintings in wax, oil by Molly Cliff-Hilts

Biographical Notes

by Scott Poole


Perhaps you look at Molly Cliff-Hilts’ paintings and think, how intricate, how delicate. Perhaps you think of a woman living on a hill overlooking Portland, Oregon surrounded by flowers and natural light quietly brushing oil onto a canvas. That’s when you have to remind yourself that this work is done with a blow torch, late into the night, after a full day of being a wife and a mother to two children. The work is done on huge wood panels that have to be wrestled around. All of Molly’s tools have to be lit or plugged in. There are more things to burn yourself on than a welding shop. Encaustic technique was not invented by fragile nuns, it was invented by ancient Greek fisherman to seal their boats against the harsh storms of the Mediterranean.

 

 

When you first meet Molly you feel like she has been your best friend your whole life. She is one of those rare people that make you feel instantly welcome. I wondered long about how she achieves this, but I think it’s the hours she spends in the studio working with fire and wax.  There’s an honesty to her life and work that can rarely be found elsewhere.  Because of this, you don’t feel Molly is in a competition with other artists. The demanding nature of her medium is all the competition she needs. It’s through this spirit that Molly’s work has flourished as well as the work of any artist she invites to join her. 

In 2000, Molly and her husband Dave began hosting salons* in their restored 19th century home.  She invites musicians, poets, writers to join her on a stage especially built by her husband Dave who also generously contributes his own incredible home brewed stouts and ales. Such guests have included the NW band Amelia, poet Scott Poole, authors Marc Acito, Cai Emmons, and Michael Rips.  When Molly was invited to show in New York, she brought a poet and the band, Amelia, with her.  

Molly is a social alchemist, someone who doesn’t mind doing the hard work, clearing the path, then inviting others to join her, someone who believes in bringing people together to create a greater good.  Just look at her encaustic paintings long enough, you’ll notice under the first layer of wax are endless shifting sub layers that subtlety contribute to the whole. Each piece is like a whole gallery of translucent paintings laid on top of each other and all have to get along.  So it is with Molly’s belief in daily generosity, layers upon layers of collaborative friendships go into creating her work, the work of others and the substance of her life.

                                                                     Scott Poole, Poet and author of Hiding From Salesmen and The Cheap Seats

*There is a rich family history of hosting salons.  It was a surprise to Molly when she discovered, after several years of hosting these gatherings, that her great grandmother, Mary Porter Sesnon, was devoted to the same practice.  Mary (or May) kept a scrapbook filled with poems, drawings, and paintings which revealed that she had also hosted artists’ salons, in Monterey Bay, California in the early 1900’s.  The guests included notable California Bohemians, patrons, and dignitaries (Herbert Hoover was in attendance) who took part in festive parties that went on for days, celebrating both art and community.

 

The Woman of Wax and Wood a poem by Scott Poole

One day Molly simply became art.

She was making dinner, reviewing homework, doing

the dishes and suddenly was a painting sitting by the sink.

Not wanting the neighbors to see, the family quickly

hustled the painting upstairs and went downstairs to

discuss their next move.  What do you do if your wife

and mother of two becomes a painting of wax and wood?

After an hour of reaching not one conclusion they

walked upstairs to find Molly, still a painting, but there was

a beautiful painting of a pear next to it. Not knowing what to do,

they invited a close friend over to see what had happened.

When they got back the garret was full of paintings

and Molly had melted away from her painting.

 “How did you get out?” they asked her. 

 “I don’t know,” she said, “but I don’t think I should stop now.

This stuff is pretty good.” They looked. It was pretty good.

Sensing that having friends around might be a good thing

Molly and her family began hosting Salons at her house.

They invited other artists, poets, musicians and writers.

Many people wanted the paintings, so the little house

always had room for more beautiful art. More and more

people found out about the many wax layers of her work

Art shows, gallery openings and devoted fans followed.

When Molly stops painting the wax begins to harden,

she starts to stiffen and her colors begin to fade

so she keeps a blowtorch and a welcoming smile handy

for any friends that might happened to drop by

her little house on the hill in Portland.