About the Artist
Biography:
Laurel Hart received her formal art training at the University of Utah and the
Petersen Art Center in Salt Lake City, where she currently lives. She
furthered her study through workshops with Arne Westerman, Alex Powers, Don
Andrews, Frank Webb, Alvaro Castagnet, and other nationally known artists.
Laurel’s paintings have hung in many national juried exhibitions, including those
of the American Watercolor Society, the National Watercolor Society, Rocky Mountain National, Watercolor West, and the Western Federation of Watercolor Societies. Her work has been featured in
The Artist’s Magazine, Watercolor Magic, and the popular watercolor books,
Splash 8, and Splash 9. She is the author of the book, Putting People in Your Paintings, published by
North Light Books in 2007. Laurel is the recipient of the Gold Medal of Honor
presented by the American Watercolor Society at the 2005 International Exhibition, which she considers one of the highest honors she has received as an artist.
Laurel is a signature member of the National Watercolor Society, Watercolor West, Western Federation Society, and the Utah Watercolor Society. Her paintings have won numerous awards and can be found in public and private collections across the country.
Artist’s Statement:
As an artist it is more important for me to paint the excitement I feel for a subject than it is to create a photorealistic rendering of it; consequently my paintings lean more to impressionism than realism. Painting for me is a way to communicate emotions that can’t always be expressed through the language of words alone. I tend to work in an abbreviated style where the suggestion is more important than the completed statement, as I believe leaving some things unsaid leads to more poetic art. I’ve learned that the less I give away in my paintings, the more people seem to get from them. Light is always the subject I find most exciting. I’m particularly drawn to the dramatic extremes of subjects bathed in full sun, or those backlit in minimal rim lighting.
Resume:
Education:
- Bachelor’s Degree in Education/Fine Arts Minor, University of Utah
- Watercolor Classes, Petersen Art Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
- Figure drawing and painting classes at Salt Lake Community College
- Watercolor workshops from nationally known artists Arne Westerman, Alex Powers, Timothy Clark, Carol Barnes, Don Andrews, Frank Webb, Gloria Allen, and Alvero Castagnet
Selected Recent Exhibitions:
- 2007 Utah Watercolor Society Fall Show, Salt Lake City, Utah
- 2005 138th American Watercolor Society International Exhibition, Salmagundi Club, New York City, New York
- 2005 Western Federation of Watercolor Societies 30th Exhibition, West Valley Art Museum, Arizona
- 2004 Utah Watercolor Society Spring Show, Salt Lake City, Utah
- 2004 Utah Watercolor Society Fall Show, Park City, Utah
- 2003 Utah Watercolor Society Spring Show, Bountiful, Utah
- 2003 Western Federation of Watercolor Societies 23rd Exhibition, Las Vegas, Nevada
- 2002 Utah Watercolor Society Fall Membership Show, Salt Lake City, Utah
- 2002 Watercolor West National Juried Show, Brea Civic Center, Brea,
California
- 2001 Western Federation of Watercolor Societies 22nd Exhibition, Park City, Utah
- 2000 Watercolor West National Juried Show, Brea Civic Center, Brea,
California
- 2000 National Watercolor Society Exhibition, Muckenthaler Center,
Fullerton, California
- 1999 Watercolor West National Juried Show, Riverside Art Museum,
Riverside, California
- 1999 Rocky Mountain National Watermedia Exhibition, Foothills Art
Center, Golden, Colorado
- 1999 Western Federation of Watercolor Societies 20th Exhibition, San
Diego Watercolor Society Showcase Gallery, San Diego, California
- 1998 131st American Watercolor Society International Exhibition,
Salmagundi Club, New York City, New York
- 1997 Western Federation of Watercolor Societies 22nd Exhibition, Tucson Museum of
Art, Tucson, Arizona
- 1997 4th International Art Competition, Museum of Church History and Art, Salt
Lake City, Utah
- 1997 Freedom Festival Fine Art Exhibition, BYU, Provo, Utah
Publications:
- Putting People in your Paintings, North Light Books, 2007
- Watercolor Magic, "Saving the Whites in Watercolor," October
2006
- Watercolor Magic, “Best in Show,” February 2006
- Splash Nine, Tips and Techniques, North Light Books, 2006
- Splash Eight, Watercolor Discoveries, North Light Books, 2004
- The Artist's Magazine, "The Power of Suggestion," September
2001
Awards, Honors, Memberships:
- 2007 Best of Show, Utah Watercolor Society Fall Show
- 2007 Ted Wassmer Memorial Award, Utah Watercolor Society Fall Show
- 2007 Award of Excellence, Utah Watercolor Society Signature Members Show
- 2005 Gold Medal of Honor, American Watercolor Society 138th International
Exhibition, included in
traveling show
- 2005 Western Federation of Watercolor Societies signature membership
- 2004 Award of Merit, Utah Watercolor Society Spring Show
- 2004 Dean Koski Memorial Award, Utah Watercolor Society Spring Show
- 2004 First Place Watercolor Division, American Mothers’ National Art Competition
- 2004 Award of Merit, Utah Watercolor Society Fall Show
- 2003 Honorary Mention, Strathmore Paper Competition
- 2003 Award of Merit, Utah Watercolor Society Spring Show
- 2002 Watercolor West signature membership
- 2002 Award of Merit, Utah Watercolor Fall Membership Show
- 2002 Guest Speaker at March Utah Watercolor Society Meeting
- 2001 Juror’s Selection Award, Western Federation 22nd Exhibition
- 2001 Juror’s Selection Award, Utah Watercolor Spring Show
- 2000 National Watercolor Society Traveling Show
- 2000 National Watercolor Society signature membership
- 1998 Two Awards of Merit, Salt Lake Community College President’s Art
Show
- 1995 Juror’s Selection Award, Utah Watercolor Society Fall Show
- 1995 Award of Merit, Utah Watercolor Society Spring Show
- 1995 Third Place Watercolor Painting, FHP Members Art Exhibition
- 1994 First Place Painting Utah State Fair
- 1994 First Place Painting, FHP Employee and Family art Exhibition
Collections:
Laurel’s work is held in private and public collections across the country, including the Utah state capital building.