My work speaks of the energy of nature. The current of the water, the flow of the air over us, the rock formations that form the foundation under our feet and the movement of those foundations. The natural world is very simply alive. It is nothing to be taken for granted. It is as much a part of us, as our circulatory system.

Growing up on a farm, Hart absorbed the natural world around her small child, self. A backpack filled with empty jars, Golden Guide Books on Insects, Plants and Birds, she spent all of her days studying the beauty, the transience, the processes and cycles, the details of construction in nature.

Hart has come to realize that few people have her background. In her early years on the farm, she spent all the daylight hours in nature. She wandered the family farm  and the adjoining farms of neighbors. It was more than 1500 acres of countryside and farmland. In these surroundings, she became attuned to the natural world in a way that seems more connected to earlier societies, than with our present day world. She intuited natural processes that are just now being ‘discovered’ by modern scientists. Hart understood the infinity of space, the insignificance of man, the transient nature of life, and the omnipotent power of the life force of nature. This was at the age of ten.

After spending her young adult life absorbed with nature and art (museums, printmaking, and mixed media), Hart pursued a career in landscape design and installation. She approached this as an art form.  Transforming spaces by moving large amounts of soil, large boulders to hold in river banks, adding dry laid stone paths and walls, or brick, building structures for the garden (breezeways, pergola, gates, etc), and planting 25’ trees down to the smallest of perennials. The boxwoods became Noguchi sculpture, the layering of plants juxtaposed with the man made elements became a painting framed by views from the windows.
It is with this knowledge that Hart paints.  Using oil, and charcoal, every painting is an attempt to reunite with an existence symbiotic with the natural world. Her paintings are abstract landscapes.

Studying at the Art Institute of Chicago, the San Francisco Art Institute, with Anne Truitt, Vera Berdich, and Ed Pashcke, among others, and studying at Northwestern in art history and biology has made a strong background for Hart’s devotion to the arts. She has attended artist residencies across the country, Oxbow, Morris Graves Foundation, and Seaside. In 2017-18, Hart was awarded a fellowship to attend Vermont Studio Residency. 
Her compositions are strong, her color usage muted but glowing, and everything from tree trunks to leaves to water and air has a heavy, chiseled look with consistent paint application that announces in no uncertain terms that we are looking not at illusory pictures but at solid layers of paint on a flat surface. It may be old fashioned of me to say it, but that’s what painting is all about.
Alex Clayton,  South Sound Arts

Education

1970-1979
Northwestern University, Art Institute of Chicago, San Francisco Art Institute.
Studied under Anne Truitt,  Vera Berdich, Ed Paschke, and Alex Castro.

Artist Residencies — Awards

2020
  • SW Juror's Merit Award, SW Juried Show, Leonor R. Fuller Gallery at SPSCC, Olympia, Wa, juror: June Sekiguchi.
  • Juror’s Merit Award Show, Leonor R. Fuller Gallery at SPSCC, Olympia, WA, juror: Dawna Holloway, gallerist/curator, Studio e. Curator, Seattle, WA.
2019
  • Seattle Art Fair, represented by Smith & Vallee, Seattle, WA.
  • Anacortes Arts 'Festival Award,'  Anacortes Arts Festival, Anacortes, WA. Juror, Joanna Sikes, director of MoNA, LaConner, WA.
  • Juror’s Merit Award, Leonor R. Fuller Gallery at SPSCCC, juror: Dawna Holloway, gallerist/curator, Studio e. Curator, Seattle, WA.
  • Guest Curator for Ryan James Gallery, Kirkland, WA. Featuring Galen Garwood.
2018
  • Juror’s Invitational Show, Leonor R. Fuller Gallery at SPSCCC, Olympia, WA, juror: Amy McBride, Tacoma Art Museum Curator.
  • 2017
  • Juror’s Merit Award, Leonor R. Fuller Gallery at SPSCC, juror: Amy McBride, Tacoma Art Museum Curator. Olympia, WA.
  • Vermont Studio Center Fellowship Award , Johnson, VT.
2016
  • Escape to Create Artist Residency, Seaside, FL. Residency and Salon.
2015
  • Morris Graves Foundation Residency, Loleta, CA
  • Spokane Visual Arts Award, a monetary award connected with the Spokane Museum of Arts and Culture; inclusion in the Museum collection.
2000   
  • Kentucky Women Artists Award, second runner up.
1979
  • Oxbow Artist Residency, Oxbow Artist Colony, Saugatuck, MI.

Artist Residencies

2017
Vermont Studio Center Fellowship Residency , Johnson, VT.

2016
Escape to Create Artist Residency, Seaside, FL. Residency and Salon.

2015
Morris Graves Foundation Residency, Loleta, CA

1979
Oxbow Artist Residency, Oxbow Artist Colony, Saugatuck, MI.

Solo/Duo Exhibits

2023
  • Museum of Northwest Art, La Conner, WA.
2022
  • 'Nature on the Inside,' Harris Harvey Gallery, Seattle, WA.
  • 'Earth, Wind, and Sky,' Northwinds Art Center, Port Townsend, WA.
  • 'Wild in Flow,' Karin Clarke Gallery, Eugene, OR.
2021
  • 'Song of the Earth.' Spokane Museum of Arts and Culture, Helen South Alexander Gallery, Spokane, WA.
  • "Peace of the Wild.' Harris Harvey Gallery, Seattle, WA.
  • Carillon Point, Kirkland, WA, curated by Malayka and Tom Gormally of Gormally Consultants, Seattle, WA.
  • Concept and core planning of: 'Cathedral of the Sacred,' A Full Sensory Installation. Collaboration with Janice Arnold. Leonor R. Fuller Gallery at SPSCC, Olympia, WA. Canceled for Covid.
2019
  • 'Blue: Northwest Landscapes,' Harris Harvey Gallery, Seattle, WA.
  • Smith&Vallee Gallery, Bow-Edison, WA.
  • 'Zen,' Gallery 110, Seattle, WA.
  • 'Mother Earth,' OAP Gallery, Port Haddock, WA.
2018
  • Tacoma Community Gallery at Gig Harbor, Tacoma, WA.
  • Pierce College Gallery, Lakewood, WA.
  • Gallery 110, Seattle, WA.
  • Lower Columbia College, Longview, WA.
  • All Sort's Gallery , Olympia, WA.
  • Washington Department of Ecology Gallery, Olympia, WA.
2017
  • Cobalt Gallery, Mendocino, CA.
  • Tim Carmody Gallery, Fort Bragg, CA.
2015
  • The Ancients, Washington Arts Center, Olympia, WA.
2014
  • Washington Department of Ecology  Gallery, Olympia, WA.
1999
  • Lexington Public Library Gallery, Lexington, KY.
1998
  • Mixed Media Meditations. President’s Room, University of Kentucky, Singletary Center for the Arts, Lexington, KY.
1984
  • 501 Gallery, Eugene, OR.

Selected Group Shows

2022
  • Seattle Art Fair, represented by Harris Harvey Gallery, Seattle, WA.
2021
  • '5/37; an Anniversary Show.' Harris Harvey Gallery, Seattle, WA.
  • 'Vast,' an invitational. Smith&Vallee, Bow-Edison, WA.
  • 'Birdland," an invitational. Smith&Vallee, Bow-Edison, WA.
  • SW Juried Merit Show, SPSCC Leonor R. Fuller Gallery at SPSCC, Olympia, WA., juror: June Sekiguchi.
  • SW Jurors Invitational Show, Leonor R. Fuller Gallery at SPSCC, Olympia, WA., juror: June Sekiguchi.
2020
  • Seattle Art Fair invitation (canceled due to Covid), represented by Harris Harvey, Seattle, WA.
  • 'Fall Perspectives,' Harris Harvey group show, Harris Harvey Gallery, Seattle, WA.
  • SW Juried Merit Show, SPSCC Minnaert Gallery, curator/gallery owner of Studio E, Dawna Holloway. Olympia, WA.
2019
  • Seattle Art Fair, represented by Smith&Vallee, Seattle, WA.
  • SW Juried Invitational, SPSCC Minnaert Gallery, curator/gallery owner of Studio E, Dawna Holloway. Olympia, WA.
  • Anacortes Arts Festival Juried Art Show, curator of MoNA, Joanna Sikes. Anacortes, WA.
  • Tacoma Community College Gallery, Tacoma, WA.
  • Olympia Court House, Olympia, WA.
  • Gray Sky Gallery, Seattle, WA.
2018
  • OAP, Port Haddock, WA.
  • Tacoma Community College Gallery, Tacoma, WA.
  • Northwind Art Center, Port Townsend, WA.
  • SW Washington Juror’s Invitational. SPSCC Minnaert Gallery, Olympia, WA . Juror: Amy McBride, Tacoma Art Museum Curator. Olympia, WA.
2017
  • 'Strokes of Genius.' Maryland Federation of Arts, Juried Exhibit. Juror: Susan Behrends Frank, Ph.D. The Phillips Collection. Annapolis, MD.
  • Anacortes Arts Festival, Art at the Port Juried Exhibition. Juror: Pablo Schugurensky. Anacortes, WA.
  • SW Washington Juried Invitational. Juror: Amy McBride, Tacoma Art Museum Curator. Olympia, WA.
2017
  • Smith&Vallee Gallery Anniversary Show, Bow-Edison, WA.
2016
  • Glendeven Inn, Mendocino, CA.
  • Stanford Inn, Mendocino, CA.
  • Oddfellows, Mendocino, CA.
  • Smith&Vallee Gallery Invitational Landscape Show, Edison, WA.
2015
  • Ex-Patriots Invitational Show, Lexington, KY.
  • Mercer Island Plein Aire Invitational, Mercer Island, WA.
2015
  • SW Washington Juried Exhibit. Minnaert Gallery, SPSCC, Olympia, WA.
2014
  • All Woman Art Show. Washington State University, Tri-Cities, Richland, WA.
  • Ex Patriots Invitational Show. Artsplace, Lexington, KY.
2000
  • Force of the New Millennium. Living Arts and Science Center, Lexington, KY.
1998
  • National Collage Society Thirteenth Annual Juried Exhibit. Cleveland, OH.
1997    
  • Scissors, Paper, Rock. Loudon House, Lexington, KY.
  • Three Woman Show. Art’s Place, Lexington, KY.
  • Thirteenth Annual Juried Exhibit. Art’s Place, Lexington, KY.
1996   
  • The Nude Show. Loudon House, Lexington, KY.
1984      
  • Women’s Symposium. University of Oregon, Eugene, OR.
1983      
  • Oregon Watercolor Society Annual Juried Show. Salem, OR.
  • Women’s Symposium. University of Oregon, Eugene, OR.
1982      
  • Women’s Symposium. University of Oregon, Eugene, OR.

Publications

  • Lane Arts Council, First Friday Arts Walk, February 25, 2022.
  • Eugene Weekly, February 23, 2022.
  • SADA, Seattle Art Dealers Association, October 2021.
  • MoNA, 40 Years, Art Auction printed catalog. 
  • Art Access back cover. Volume 30, May-June 2021, number 3. MoNA art auction.
  • 'Four Artists 2021 Juror's Invitational...' Oly Arts, April 15, 2021.
  • Crosscut - Washington State and Seattle News, April 8, 2021.
  • SADA, Seattle Art Dealers Association, April 2021.
  • Madeira Today, Issue 203, Winter 2021.
  • Hart James: 'A Layering of Existence Imbued with Intense Energy,' Oly Arts,   Alec Clayton, March 20, 2020.
  • Smith & Vallee Gallery, Year in Review 2019.
  • SADA, Seattle Art Dealers Association, December 2019.
  • Seattle Art Gallery Guide, June 2019.
  • South Sound Arts, January 2019.
  • 'The Beauty of Mother Earth.' Port Townsend Leader, June 5, 2019.
  • Seattle Art Gallery Guide, August 2018.
  • Oly Arts, August 2018.
  • Weekly Volcano,  April 2018.
  • Seattle Art Gallery Guide, April 2016.
  • South Sound Arts, January 2015.
  • South Sound Arts,  March 2015.
  • South Sound Arts, September 2013.

Teaching

  • MoNA, La Conner, NW artists lecture, 2020.
  • Private painting classes, 2018-2020.
  • St Martin's University, 2019, art history and drawing classes.
  • Mendocino Art Center, oil painting, 2018.

Gallery Affiliations

  • Harris Harvey Gallery –​ Seattle, WA
  • Karin Clarke Gallery -- Eugene, OR
  • Spokane Art Museum –​ Spokane, WA