The following is part of a series featuring a leader in the art community who will be joining us on the faculty of Watercolor Live, a virtual art conference taking place January 24-26, 2024.
by Christopher Volpe / Inside Art
Caitlin Leline Hatch is best known for her soulful, impressionistic watercolor paintings, with work that reflects the essence of its subjects. In animals, figures, and landscapes, Leline Hatch captures the interplay of light, shadow, and color, and reveals the everyday magic all around us.
She has been dedicated to watercolor for over 20 years. Her work has been featured in The Art of Watercolor, Watercolor Artist, PleinAir® magazine, American Watercolor Weekly, and Fine Art Today. Her private commissions hang in homes across the country.
A native of Door County, Wisconsin, Hatch grew up on a horse farm, and her childhood imprinted her with a specific sensitivity toward animals and rural landscapes. Today, she lives on a dairy farm in Wisconsin’s Driftless region, where her family raises cows, horses, and chickens, and makes artisan cheese. The rural countryside continues to be her main source of inspiration.
With her art, Hatch pushes pause on our distracted, modern lives, and invites us to consider overlooked moments of natural beauty. Her art makes ordinary moments, extraordinary.
“Watercolor is a journey of discovery,” she says. “At times it’s unpredictable, yet that instability is what brings magic and wonder to my canvas. For me, it is a life metaphor; a reminder that unplanned detours can bring unexpected, joyful discoveries.
“I use a wet-into-wet technique that allows the water and pigments to move freely while still allowing me to steer the painting toward an established vision. This tension between spontaneity and control brings a special vitality to my process and to the paintings themselves. It allows me to let go and have faith in the process while at the same time capture the important details that tell the story.”
She will be among the constellation of stellar teachers doing demos and running workshops during Watercolor Live, January 24-26, 2024 (with optional Essential Techniques Day on January 23rd).
Connect with the artist at lelineartstudio.com.
And browse more free articles here at OutdoorPainter.com
