Caitlin Leline Hatch

Caitlin Leline Hatch is best known for her soulful, impressionistic watercolor paintings, with work reflecting its subjects’ essence. In animals, figures, and landscapes, she captures the interplay of light, shadow, and color and reveals the everyday magic around us.

Leline Hatch has been dedicated to watercolor for over twenty years. Her work has been selected for prestigious art exhibitions around the country, including the American Impressionistic Society, the National Watercolor Society, where she won top honors in 2024, the Transparent Watercolor Society of America, the Northwest Watercolor Society’s International Exhibition, where she won first place in 2022, and the American Watercolor Society.

A native of Door County, Wisconsin, Leline 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, she pushes pause on our distracted, modern lives and invites us to consider overlooked moments of natural beauty. Her art makes ordinary moments extraordinary.

Artist Statement

Watercolor is a journey of discovery. 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 simultaneously capturing the important details that tell the story.