Galleries West Fine Art

Judy Hartke

Discipline(s): Acrylic & Oil

Accolades: Member of the Society of Animal Artists, “Art of the Animal Kingdom”, Bennington VT 2004,2005, Kentucky Biennial National Wildlife Art Exhibit, 2002,2004,2006, Federal Duck Stamp Contest, 12th and 10th place.

Bio:
Raised in rural Western New York, painter Judith Hartke developed a fascination and deep appreciation for animals early on. Graduating from Cornell with a BS in Animal Science and Education in 1990, Judith spent ten years working as a dairy nutrition and management consultant. Her work gave her ample opportunity to study both domestic and wild animals on a daily basis, and it wasn’t long before she was drawn back to expressing her love of animals using her artistic talents. “As I look back now and see my old college zoology notes surrounded by sketches of animals, I realize that coming back to art was inevitable.”

In 2001, she was fortunate to be one of only 75 international applicants to be juried into Robert Bateman’s artists’ seminar, where her keen interest in wildlife art was cemented. Since that time, the artist has gone on to win acceptance into many national wildlife art competitions, shows, and exhibitions. The featured artist of several shows in 2006, she has also twice been selected as New York’s “Wildlife Artist of the Year” at the New York State Wildlife Art Competition at the State Fair, where her work has also won the People’s Choice Award.

She finds inspiration for her art through countless hours observing animals and nature, as well as time spent hunting, hiking, fishing, and camping with her husband and daughter.

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