Topsail is blessed with many talented artists.  Award-winning carver Garland Hilliard stands out from the crowd with his natural affinity for seashore art and his keen attention to detail.  This “ol’salt” is also easy to pick out in an island crowd wearing his signature fisherman’s cap or his Santa suit, depending on the season.

 

 

Garland and Marie Hilliard

 

Garland grew up in Chapel Hill and went to a rural community school where he first realized his artistic interests.  His dad was in the printing business which provided access to lots of paper scraps.  With plenty of materials at hand, he was encouraged to draw and doodle.  In school, he brought stories to life when his teachers had him illustrate them on the blackboard as they were read aloud to the class.

Like most young men, Garland found new interests in his teenage years; girls, autos, girls, the “guys,” and did I mention girls?  He also quickly found out that each of these new interests required money for gas, burgers, movies, and dating.  Eventually, Garland married his high school sweetheart Marie.  With a wife and family to consider, Garland again placed his artistic interests on the back burner and continued his work in industrial arts, helping his father with his printing business.

His first job out of college was with a screen printing business, but in 1964 he finally yielded to pressure from friends at North Carolina State to accept a teaching position.

 

In the mid 80s, Garland and Marie came to Topsail Island and stayed at a friend’s home on one of the canals.  They, like many others, fell in love with the area and began making regular trips to enjoy the sun, sand, and fishing.  Looking to the future, they bought a tract of land on the mainland overlooking the waterway and soon they were building their retirement home.  In December of 1993, Garland retired from NC State and the couple finally made their move to the Topsail area.

Garland has a special talent to produce such works as these.

During his teaching career Garland was recognized for outstanding academic achievement and leadership through published international papers, awards, and special recognition.  In 1994 at an international conference in Canada, Garland was awarded the Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor from the Division of Engineering Design Graphics of the American Society for Engineering Education.

More evidence of his unique work.

Garland was an educator, a leader, and a skilled administrator who went far in his profession.  His legacy lives on in the fundamental changes he introduced into the organization and leadership of the NC State graphic arts department.

After Garland and Marie settled into their new Topsail home, Garland began to hone his artistic skills, developing his love for carving.  In 1998, he accepted an invitation to join a local wood carvers association, the Cape Fear Woodcarvers, and also became a member of the National Wood Carvers Association.  While in the Boy Scouts, Garland had tried simple pocketknife carving, but now he adopted the new tools of a skilled carver.

 

Garland's own carved self-portrait. 

Today Garland spends endless time observing and thinking over a piece of wood to be able to use the grain of the wood in its best artistic form.  His favorite subjects are caricatures, faces, and canes.  He uses his wonderful sense of humor to bring each piece of wood to life.  He works with most types of wood but his favorite is cherry.  Another interesting wood he uses is sassafras, which creates a wonderful aroma in his workshop. 

Garland’s work has won many awards including numerous ribbons for his work in statewide competitions.  One year he entered eleven carvings and received ribbons for nine of his pieces and the next year he entered thirteen and won eleven ribbons.

In just the last few years, Garland has also taken up sketching and watercolors.  When he’s at his drawing table, he prefers the peacefulness of landscapes and seascapes.  His work is exhibited at a number of local galleries and he’s an active exhibiting member of Hampstead Arts where he works on his sketches and watercolors.  He is also a participating member of the Wilmington Arts Association, the Associated Artists of Southport, and the Hampstead Art League.

Garland’s work is currently exhibited at the Wilmington Gallery, Franklin Square Gallery in Southport, New River Gallery in Sneads Ferry, Pasta Grill in Hampstead, and Topsail Art Gallery in Surf City.

No matter what the medium, award-winning artist Garland Hilliard is a master at his craft—a true Topsail talent.

All pictures by Jeff Conerly.

About the author and photographer: Sue and Jeff Conerly work together to capture their love for the island in photos and words.  To contact them, go to www.jandscustomcreations.com.