Jill Hartley  Was born in 1953, to artist parents, in Colorado Springs, CO,  and was raised with the notion that painting should be a part of everyday life. Jill's watercolors have been accepted and awarded in prominent regional and national juried watercolor exhibitions but now paints exclusively in oils using a palette knife.  

Jill's western landscapes have been accepted in serveral prominate exhibitions including  the GOVERNOR'S CAPITOL ART EXHIBITION and  WESTERN SPIRIT ART SHOW  in Cheyenne, WY, the WILD HORSE AND WESTERN ART SHOW in Rock Springs, WY,  MIDWEST WINTER 14TH ANNUAL JURIED ART EXHIBITION in Wausau, WI, and just as her distinguished water colors did, her oil paintings now are selling faster than she can paint them.

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More about the Artist

Jill Hartley:  

    "While I was growing up, my parents each had their own studios--so that now a house
    without a painting studio seems empty to me.  I always presumed I would grow up to be
    a painter although I didn't draw or paint very much when I was little.  But after college
    in Colorado (Adams Sate College in Alamosa and Colorado Mountain College in
    Leadville, CO), I realized that if I was going to be a painter , I had better start painting."

Jill began painting while living in Twin Lakes, CO.  A move to Hanna, Wyoming in 1976 and
then to Rock Springs in 1980 proved inspirational for Hartley.

    "The landscape in Wyoming was different than Colorado and I had to make changes in
    my palette and in my seeing.  I worked in watercolor at that time and painted  alot of
    florals while I figured out the Wyoming landscape."

Hartley's watercolors have been accepted and awarded in prominent regional and national juried watercolor exhibitions including ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL WATERMEDIA
EXHIBITION in Golden  CO, WATERCOLOR ART SOCIETY OF HOUSTON INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION in Houston, TX; PIKES PEAK WATERCOLOR SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL WATERMEDIA XIII in Colorado Springs, CO. )  She was a signature member of Montana Watercolor Society and Wyoming Watercolor Society. Jill juried several exhibitions and taught watercolor at Western Wyoming College and the Community Fine Art Center in Rock Springs,WY.

    "In 1985, my husband and I purchased a small ranch property 50 miles south of Rock
    Springs, WY. That purchase influenced my painting  tremendously and I switched from
    painting watercolor florals to painting landscapes in oils. Our little ranch is isolated and
    quiet  and very condusive to painting.  The beauty of the surrounding landscape is irresistable and offers enough subject matter and inspiration for a many painter-lifetimes."

At West of Center Studio & Gifts you will find thevery latest works by Jill Hartley. Stop in today because when they'er gone, they'er gone!