Meet Art Crawl Artist Joy Hartl, Realist

Joy Hartl continually works on improving her skills so that she can become a better artist.

“I try to paint every day,” Hartl said. “That’s the only way I’ll get better.”

Hartl describes herself as a realist artist. She enjoys painting landscapes, and she is currently especially interested in flowers.

“I love floral and right now I draw large floral, birds, butterflies, anything along the garden genre,” Hartl said.

Her work has won awards in art shows and juried competitions. She shows her work at galleries in Arizona, and on Oct. 6 she will be at the Savage Art Studio and Gallery to participate in the Scott County Art Crawl.

Hartl grew up in Nebraska and lived in other places since then, including Oregon, before deciding to settle in Minnesota. She has lived in Prior Lake for the last 13 years.

Although she always enjoyed drawing even as a child, Hartl did not start out as a full-time artist. For 35 years she worked in the corporate world as an institutional stock trader. She retired in 1995 and decided to follow her dream.

“Being an artist has always been my dream,” Hartl said. “So I applied the energy and the patience to what I really wanted to do.”

The artwork of others inspires Hartl to challenge herself and try something new.

“I love learning and I like challenges, but I have to be excited about what I’m painting,” Hartl said.

Throughout her art career Hartl said that she has variously worked with water colors, sculpting, pen and ink, and charcoal. Her most recent focus is on oil painting.

Said Hartl, “There’s so much to learn in this life. I want to improve to the best of my ability.”

She had this advice for young artists: “They have to have a passion and love what they’re doing and be willing to work hard… towards their dream."

The Savage Arts Council started the Scott County Art Crawl in 2010 as a way for Scott County artists to showcase and sell their work. On Oct. 6, the art crawl will have more than 30 stops throughout northern Scott County.

Related:

• Art at Shakopee Library Part of Scott County Art Crawl Preview
• Buy Local Handmade Gifts This Season (blog)
• Crunch Time - Prepping for the Scott County Art Crawl (blog)

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