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About Me
About the Artist
A Tennessee-born life-long resident of Rock County,
Wisconsin, Judy Hatlen is a realist artist who specializes in nature, wildlife,
rural scenes and genre art. Her
detailed, vibrant paintings and drawings pay homage to her rural background and
love of the outdoors. Especially evident
in her work is her emphasis on detail, inviting the viewer to stop, observe,
and ponder. It is most important to her, that her art enhances the well-being
of the viewer. The comment she hears most often about her art is “It gives me a
sense of peace.”
Hatlen’s interest in art was ignited when her mother showed her how to draw stick figures at the age of three. She found she could tell stories by drawing the figures in a variety of positions, and adding facial expressions, and other components. From that time, art was her main interest.
Hatlen graduated from UW Whitewater in 1977 with a BSE in Art Education, and taught art in both private and public school settings, before retiring in 2017 to pursue her own art.
Most recently, Hatlen's acrylic painting, "Hummingbird with Red Beebalms" was curated for the The Healing Power of Art: Love, Peace, Unity & Hope 2023 Exhibition. She was one of 57 artists from around the world chosen to appear in the online exhibition which will be on view through January 31, 2024. Here is the link to the exhibit: https://www.healing-power-of-art.org/the-healing-power-of-art-love-peace-unity-hope-2023-exhibition/
In July, 2023, Hatlen's paintings, “Treasure in the Deep Woods” and “Glowing Red Columbines” selected for inclusion in the August 2023 show, “Botanicals”, by Colors of Humanity Art Gallery, from Everett, PA.This show will run August 1-31, 2023.
Artists from around the world were called to submit their work. There
were 73 accepted entries, and they came from 20 different states in the
USA, as well as 7 other countries: China, Germany, Israel, Thailand,
Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.
In April, 2023, Ms. Hatlen's painting, "Treasures in the Deep Woods" was selected to appear in "The Healing Power of Color" international online exhibition, from May 8 to July 8, 2023. Here, she was the recipient of the Special Recognition Art Review Award. This exhibition is an initiative of Manhattan Arts International, New York, NY.
In March, 2023 the HMVC Gallery, New York, NY selected Ms. Hatlen's painting "Glowing Red Columbines" to appear in its online and virtual art exhibit, "Flower Power".
Ms. Hatlen's painting, "German Iris" was selected for the HerStory 2023 Exhibition, by Manhattan Arts International.
Her painting, "Tiger Swallowtail in a Butterfly Bush" was selected for “The Healing
Power of Art inspired by Nature” 2023 online exhibition.
In 2022, she received an award in the
Wisconsin Regional Artist Program for her painting, "Spotted Knapweed on Lake Superior.".
Her art appears in many private collections, and in 2022, one of her paintings was purchased by an art gallery in York, PA. She is a regular participant in Janesville Art League exhibits, Tallman House Art Fair, and Milton House Arts and Crafts on the Lawn. In keeping with her passion for art in health care settings, her art has been exhibited in several health care facilities in Southern Wisconsin.
Inspiration
DRIVING THROUGH THE COUNTRY OR WALKING IN THE WOODS, I OFTEN MARVEL AT ALL THE PEACE AND BEAUTY THAT STILL EXISTS, EVEN THOUGH THE TURMOIL IN THE NEWS NEVER LETS UP. THE COMPLEXITY IN A WILDFLOWER, THE CALM IN A COUNTRY SCENE, WILDLIFE, ALL OF IT INSPIRES ME. WITH THE STRESS BROUGHT ON BY 21ST CENTURY LIFE, PEOPLE NEED A PEACEFUL HAVEN TO COME BACK TO. MY ARTWORK IS MEANT TO HELP CREATE THAT.
Techniques
I LOVE THE RICH COLORS I CAN GET WHEN I PAINT WITH OIL OR ACRYLIC ON CANVAS. I FIND THAT IT WORKS BEST TO PAINT INITIALLY WITH ACRYLIC, AND THEN IN THE FINAL STAGES WHEN BLENDING IS MOST IMPORTANT, I MIX ACRYLIC WITH WATER MIXABLE OIL. IT STAYS WET LONG ENOUGH TO BLEND AS MUCH AS I WANT TO, BUT IT IS DRY BY THE NEXT MORNING. GRAPHITE PENCIL IS MY OTHER FAVORITE MEDIUM. IT LENDS ITSELF WELL TO VALUES, TEXTURES AND DETAIL. I LIKE TO USE ADOBE PHOTOSHOP TO COMBINE A PENCIL DRAWING WITH DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY. I REPLACE THE SKY AREA IN THE DRAWING WITH ONE OF MY DIGITAL PHOTOS OF A SUNSET OR SUNRISE. THE CONTRAST BETWEEN THE TWO MEDIA IS STRIKING.
career
I taught art for 28 years before retiring in 2017. During that time, I worked on my own projects whenever I could, but never had the time to promote my artwork. Since retiring, I’ve started participating in art fairs, and art shows. I’ve sold successfully through those venues. Most of my sales come from portrait commissions: both people and pets. I’ve been commissioned to paint other things as well.
