I know I have been blessed as an artist. I know the joy of doing what I was created to do. I discovered there was no difference between a blank page, a blank canvas, a blank wall or an object. It was while I was painting one day, I took a step back, looked at the wall and realized, "every surface is a canvas." And that became my tagline.

I love what I do. I am simply fueled when I create. I often feel as if I have multiple personalities. Because… I can be covered in paint wearing overalls and suddenly the next day, be sitting at the desktop manipulating a font for a cover design. I am fortunate because I am able to fuse my artistic and design skills in almost every endeavor.

The opportunity to collaborate with incredibly unique clients, fellow artisans, designers and vendors is simply an incredible reward. I feel as if I never left the classroom because with every person and situation, I am always learning. It may sound redundant, but I love being an artist. It's a wonderful life with the special people and places that have influenced my life and my work. Every day is basically a creative adventure. I am blessed to be able to say “I love my job.”

To know one's purpose early in life, is a gift. Jil Gordon knew she was suppose to be an artist. She said, “Ever since I saw images of the Sistine Chapel when I was ten, I knew.” Starting young with a strong art curriculum, earning a BFA degree from the University of Michigan's School of Art and Design and studying under renowned artisans, were all fundamental in Jil becoming a successful fine artist, illustrator, decorative artist and graphic designer.

After several years of invaluable ad agency experience, Gordon & Group Design was started in Michigan. As the sole proprietor, sole designer and almost sole everything, Jil believed the “group” in the name represented the other creative people who would comprise her team, per project. And it worked. In 1984, Jil ventured west to California. There she was fortunate to work in the heyday of high-tech with clients such as Atari, Hewlett Packard, Visioneer, Aradigm, Synopsys and many other businesses and startups in the Silicon Valley area.

While business flourished, her passion for painting resurged and in 1997, Walls of Wonder was established. As a decorative artist, Jil’s love for realism and her proficiency thrived. Commissions for mural and trompe l'oeil creations, plus the vast array of specialty faux finishes, was the perfect blending of her skills.

2000 brought about the return for Jil to her Midwest roots and Michigan. Commissions expanded to exclusive developments such as Bay Harbor and private residences statewide. Simultaneously, the graphic design demands never slowed. Creating and developing corporate identities, collateral, ad campaigns and retail-specific illustrations continued for clients such as American Spoon Foods, The University of Michigan, Farbman Group and Intellx Inc. and many others.

In 2009, came the move to Ann Arbor and Walls of Wonder became FauxCreative, which Jil believed would signify a broader spectrum in the decorative arts. Collaborating with interior designers, architects, custom builders and painting firms produced fabulous creations, solid partnerships, personal inspiration and just plain fun.

More than ever, Jil believes the greatest pleasure she receives is not in the challenge, accomplishment or grandeur of the completed works, but the special relationships and happiness created through her art.

With all her creative accomplishments, her trademark is absolute – “Every surface is a canvas.™”