Hilarie Couture » About the Artist
Hilarie Couture
Brief Biography and Statement:
Hilarie Couture started to draw at age two, using a purple crayon to dress the women in her dad's Playboy magazines. Living in an abusive home, she would retreat into her closet and draw faces that resembled Margaret Keanes' sad eye kids( from the sixties), ballet dancers and horses. Her love of art continued through high school, earning her a scholarship to attend Washington University in St. Louis, to study fashion design and medical illustration. She quit after the first year, discouraged with the core of only pre-med classes and no art ,so she hitchhiked to San Francisco to draw portraits on the streets. One day she traded a portrait for a haircut and was convinced by her sitter to become a hair designer, a "real" job, and thus abandoned her drawing skills for over forty years. In her latter hair designer period, she also became an auctioneer, appraiser, and realtor, owning a combination salon auction gallery/ antique mall. These careers provided a creative outlet and income but at age 55 she enrolled in Belmont College and earned a degree in historic building preservation. In one of the classes she was required to paint a mural that won an award. Her instructor saw it and said she missed her calling and should have been doing art all along. That was the catalyst that brought Hilarie back to fine art.
"The history of my life informs what I do, every trial and triumph translate to the canvas… I believe painting portraits and figures give me what I have always strived for, a connection with people, to feel loved and validated. Choosing to paint people also because facial recognition is the first form of communication and somehow it might subconsciously resolve the difficult relationship I had with my mother. The intimacy that becomes through sitter to artist to viewer is a very personal bond. I think my paintings tell THEIR stories and MINE through the faces. "The more I have grown to understand art, the harder painting has become. Naively, at first ..I remember not really thinking, just enjoying the process of painting ,but now that I know things, it is hard. I still enjoy the process maybe even more now , but I am constantly asking myself. what is the value, hue and temperature? what is the direction of the light? …are my brushstrokes expressive enough or should I simplify, etc... It is a journey that goes full circle because the goal is to not have to think so hard but truly enjoy the process because the understanding is already there, but then that is the ultimate, and the end of the journey."
Having Russian heritage, Hilarie jests that she is secretly channeling Fechin as he died in 1955, the year she was born, so she could carry his legacy lol. Her work has energy like that of the Russian impressionists and her work, like painting itself, is about contrasts. It is an attempt at balancing the chaos and order, just as life. Constantly experimenting with mixed media and different tools, she strives to be less literal overall letting the viewer fill in the details….finding their own story in it.
Hilarie is primarily a direct painter who prefers working from life but she also works from photos or memories and feelings. She prefers oil for its various qualities of thick to thin. as well as pastel, oil pastel, colored pencil ,charcoal, and she is experimenting with mixed media, water media and sculpture. She says her personal journey has taken her from photorealism to romantic impressionism and also currently to a more contemporary abstracted reality. Which presents the thought .. is there really anything new in art? Someone else has already probably already done it.
Hilarie Coutures' art is gaining interest with new collectors all over the globe. She was honored to have had a six page article published with Pastel Journal in Winter 2024 and Pratique des Arts Issue #53 , a prestigious French magazine devoted to the art of pastel. Two of Hilarie's paintings were purchased by the the Midwest Museum of Art. She had curated several exhibits and projects in art until the end of 2024 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, had surgery and radiation in early 2025 which halted her progress temporarily while she recovered. In June of 2025 , she moved to St. Brieuc, France and is striving to make contacts in France for gallery representation , commissions and exhibition opportunities. While living in the states, she was a sought after workshop instructor and hopes to offer destination workshops in Europe , locally and offer online teaching.
Comments from Collectors:
" So excited to tell you Hilarie, that Wes finally got to have "This Woman's on Fire" for our art collection. I bought it for him for our anniversary and he was surprised and thrilled...he has wanted it for a long time! We are now the owners of 5 Hilarie Couture paintings and love them all !
" I am just so impressed, with the way you captured her soul and just the way you captured her essence ...It just reminds me of the times I visited the great galleries in Europe but this , your technique and everything is just so impressive, I am just so grateful to have this beautiful painting."
"I feel very honored that an artist of your caliber captured what you did for my mom and she absolutely loves it !"
HILARIE COUTURE CV:
10 Impasse Thiers
22000 St. Brieuc, France
www.hcouturearts.com
Selected Opportunities
Solo Shows
2026 Moments,50 Paintings representing people and places , Saint Brieuc Office de Tourisme, St. Brieuc, France
2024 Transtemporal Travel , 76 paintings of decades in time , Masters, Mentors and Modern Fine Art, Fort Wayne, Indiana
2024 A Day in the life , 67 paintings of people, animals and things in the course of daily life, Jeffrey Krull Gallery, Fort Wayne, Indiana
2023 Capturing Moments, 40 paintings of moments in time , First Presbyterian Church, Fort Wayne, Indiana
2023 A Symphony of Color , A collection of colorful works , Gallery K on Broadway, Fort Wayne, Indiana
2022 Unity With Variety, 51 portraits of Diversity, Jeffrey Krull Gallery, Fort Wayne, Indiana touring the region for the next year
2022 Illusional Reality, Ruth Koomler Art Gallery, Fort Wayne, Indiana
2021 Garrett Museum of Art Spotlight Gallery, Garrett, Indiana
2020 Explorations in Paint and.... , solo show Attic Gallery ,Camas , Washington
2019 Intertwinings, guest artist Jansen Art Center, Lynden, Washington
2017 Founding Mothers, Book signing and final show , Cascade Park Library, Vancouver, Washington
2017 Founding Mothers, Book signing and show , Three Creeks Library, Vancouver, Washington
2017 Touchmark, Vancouver, Washington
2017 Founding Mothers, Ft. Vancouver Visitors Center, Vancouver, Washington
2017 Terwiliger Plaza, Geezer, Gallery, Portland, Oregon
2017 That Which is Beauty, Mt. Hood Community College Fireplace Gallery, Gresham, Oregon
2016 People, Place or Thing, Lava Java Coffee shop, Ridgefield, Washington
2016 Tour of Founding Mother’s Portraits of Progress, Clark County Historical Museum and other locations, Vancouver, Washington
2016 Aurora Gallery, featured artist, February, Women and their Exotic Animal Spirits, Vancouver,Washington
2015 Artsy Shark, featured artist, on line
2015 Broadway Gallery, Guest Artist, month of February, Art From My Heart , Longview, Washington
2014 Muse Art and Design, People and Places of Portland, Portland, Oregon
2014 Second Story Gallery, Les Femmes et les Fleurs Camas, Washington
Juried Public Exhibitions
2026 Salon International du pastel en Bretagne, Fougeres, France
2026 Art Du Pastel en France pastel International, Berric, France
2026 Pastel Du Opale pastel biennial , Bologne sur Mer, France
2024 Premiere Pastel Society of Indiana Regional show
2024 Honeywell Arts Center, Regional show, Wabash, Indiana
2024 Richmond Museum of Art, Regional show, Richmond , Indiana
2024 Midwest Museum of Art, Midwest Regional show Elkart, Indiana,
2024 Ventures in Creativity , Rolland Art Center, Fort Wayne, Indiana
2024 Endurring Brillance, Pastel Society of America annual show, New York, New York
2023 Chicago Pastel Painters, online International show, Chicago, Illinois
2023 Ventures In Creativity, Rolland Art Center, Fort Wayne, Indiana
2023 International Pastel Society , Associate member show, on lin
2022 Ventures In Creativity, Rolland Art Center Gallery, Fort Wayne, Indiana
2022Wassenburg Art Center, Regional Show , Van Wert, Ohio
2022 Lakeland Art Center, Regional show Warsaw , Indiana
2022 Associate member show online , American Impressionists Society
2021 Richmond Museum of Art, Regional show, Richmond, Indiana
2021 Northern Indiana Membership Show , Moon Tree Studios, Plymouth, Indiana
2021 Ventures In Creativity, Rolland Art Center Gallery, Fort Wayne, Indiana
2021 International Pastel Society show, Zhou B Art Gallery, Chicago, Illinois
2021 Northern Indiana Pastel Society Regional show ,South Bend Indiana
2020 Art of the Pandemic , The Cave Gallery , Vancouver, Washington
2019 Pastel society of North Carolina International Show
2019 NW pastel Society International Show, American Art Company , Tacoma, Washington
2018-2019 Featured artist August 2019 Splendorporium gallery monthly shows, Portland,Oregon
2018 Nwpastel Society members show, Kirkland, Washington
2018 Nwpastel society International show, American Art Company , Tacoma, Washington
2018 International Pastel Society Show, American Art Company, Tacoma, Washington
2018 Celebration of Creativity ,Beaverton, Oregon
2018 Scottsdale Artists School , Best and Brightest 2018 show, Scottsdale artists School, Scottsdale , Arizona
2017 Holiday Small Works Show , National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society, Cathy Kline Gallery , Parkville , Missouri
2017 Northwest Pastel Society Members Show, Portland, Oregon
2017 Northwest Pastel Society, International Show, American Art Company, Tacoma, Washington
2016 Women Artists of the West, Annual Show, Fredricksburg, Texas
2015/2017 Peoples Art, Big 500 show, Portland, Oregon
2015 Clark County Open Studios, Vancouver, Washington
2015 Broderick Gallery, Longview ,Washington, Regional Artists
2014 NOAPS National oil and Acrylic Painters Society Best of America Show, Bolivar and Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri
2014 Vancouver Public Library, Vancouver, Washington
2014 NOPG Northwest Oil Painters Guild, Hanging at the Summit, Ridgefield, Washington
2014 Rose Festival Show, Oregon Society of Artists, Portland, Oregon
2014 Aurora Gallery, featured artist, Vancouver, Washington
2014 Cascade Aids Project Art Auction, Portland, Oregon
2013 Senior Show, Sixth Floor Gallery, Vancouver, Washington
2013 Camas Art Gallery, Camas, Washington
2012 Gallery 360, Vancouver, Washington
2012 Portrait Show, North Bank Gallery, Vancouver, Washington
Group Exhibitions
2025 Women Take the Walls, Gallery 317 , Bryan, Ohio
2023/24 Richmond Museum of Art , annual show , Richmond, Indiana
2023 Midwest Museum of Art, American Portraits , Elkhart, Indiana
2023 Members show, Premiere Pastel Society of Indiana, Blackford County Arts Space , Hartford City, Indiana
2022, 2023, 2024 Members Show, Fort Wayne Artists Guild, Fort Wayne, Indiana
2022 Members show, Art Link, Fort Wayne, Indiana
2022 Salon Des Refuses, Fort Wayne, Indiana
2021 Kekionga Plein air exhibit, Fort Wayne, Indiana
2021 Members show, Art Link, Fort Wayne, Indiana
2021 Members Show , Allen County library, Krull Gallery, Fort Wayne, Indiana
2021 Valentines show, Castle Gallery, Fort Wayne, Indiana
2019 Group shows RJ art Gallery, Mc Minnevile, Oregon
2018 Group Show Pathways, Christmans Gallery, Sellwood, Oregon,
2017 Locals Show, Attic Gallery, Camas, Washington
2016 Northwest Oil Painters Guild Annual show, Vancouver, Washington
2016/2018 Society of Washington Artists Spring Show , Vancouver, Washington
2016 For the Love of Portland, Peoples Gallery, Portland ,Oregon
2015 Toys, Aurora Gallery, Vancouver, Washington
2015 Portrait Society show, U.S. Bank, Portland, Oregon
2015 Northwest Oil Painters Guild Annual members show, Vancouver, Washington
2015 Clark County Fair, Vancouver, Washington
2015 Trillium Gallery on line published in their monthly magazines
2015 Lakewood Festival of the Arts Open Show, Lake Oswego, Oregon
2015 Society of Washington Artists Open Show, Vancouver, Washington
2014 Art Factors, Alla Prima Portland, Portland, Oregon
2014 SWA Spring Show, Vancouver, Washington
2014/ 2018 Battleground Art Alliance Spring Show , Battleground, Washington
2013 Battleground Art Alliance Spring Show, Battleground, Washington
2013 Harvest Days Festival, Battleground, Washington
2013 Art and Wine Festival, Vancouver, Washington
2013 SWA Spring Show, Vancouver, Washington
2013 Lakewood Festival of the Arts Open Show, Lake Oswego, Oregon
2012 Hillsboro Plein Aire Show , Walters Cultural Center , Hillsboro, Oregon
2012 Art in the Garden ,Golden Gallery, Beaverton, Oregon
2012 Art in the Heart , Vancouver, Washington
2012 Squared Show Hillsboro, Oregon
2012 Lakewood Open Show ,Lake Oswego, Oregon
2012 Art in the Business, Vancouver, Washington
Awards
2026 Exposition International Berric , 7th place , Art Du Pastel En France
2024 PPSI Regional Show 2nd place
2024 Honeywell Arts Center, Wabash, Indiana, Merit Award
2024 Midwest Museum of Art, Midwest Regional Elkart, Indiana, Purchase Award
2024 Ventures in Creativity, sponsor award, merit award, 2nd Place , 1st place and Best of Show
2023 Chicago Pastel Painters, Sponsor Award
2023 Good Ole Summertime, Best of Show, Hoosier Salon Gallery . New Harmony , Indiana
2023 Ventures in Creativity, Best of Show , and 2nd place
2022 Salon des Refuses, Best of show and peoples choice
2022 Ventures in Creativity, First Place, oil painting
2022 Lakeland Art Center, Honorable Mention
2021, 2024, Bold Brush outstanding pastel finalist
2021 Ventures in Creativity, merit award
2021 Northern Indiana Pastel Society Regional show, merit award
2020, 2024 Bold Brush Fav 15
2019 Bold Brush Fav 15 and outstanding Pastel Finalist
2018 Nw Pastel Society members show, jurors award
2018 Nw Pastel Society International show, jurors award
2018 Bold Brush fav 15
2017 Bold Brush fav15 and outstanding pastel finalist
2017 Art Muse Contest, Finalist Emerging Artist August /September
2017 Heaven Art Gallery, first place Love category, Scottsdale, Arizona
2016 Northwest Oil Painters Guild Annual Show , first Place, Third Place and Sponsor award, Vancouver, Washington
2016/2018 Society of Washington Artists Spring show, Best of show, 2nd Place oil painting, 3rd place , Vancouver, Washington
2015 Oil Painters Guild Annual Show, Best of show, 2 Sponsor awards, Vancouver, Washington
2015 Clark County Fair, first place, Vancouver, Washington
2015 Lakewood Festival of the Arts, Blue Ribbon, Lake Oswego, Oregon
2015 SWA Society of Washington Artists, first place oil painting, Vancouver, Washington
2014 NOAPS Best of America Show, Best People Painting award, Bolivar , Missouri
2014 NOPG Hanging at the Summit, honorable mention, Vancouver, Washington
2014 Rose Festival Show , third place, Portland, Oregon
2014 SWA Society of Washington Artists Spring Show, Best of Show , third place , honorable mention and sponsor award, Vancouver, Washington
2018-2014-2013 -2012 Battleground Art Alliance Spring Show, sponsor award, honorable mention , Battleground, Washington
2013-2012 Washington Society of Artists Spring and Fall show , sponsor award ,honorable mention, Vancouver, Washington
2012 North Clackamas Art Show ,third place pastel , Milwaukee, Oregon
2010 Celebration of Learning, second place, acrylic ,Belmont Technical College, St. Clairsville, Ohio
2010 Emerging artist, Oglebyfest, pastel and charcoal portraits, Wheeling, West Virginia
Collections
2023/24 Midwest Museum of Art , Elkhart, Indiana
2020 SW Washington Center for the Arts
2016 Clark College Foundation
2016 Clark County Historical Museum
2012 Portland Community College Rock Creek , public art permanent collection , Hillsboro, Oregon
Private collectors , Fort Wayne, Decatur, Roanoke, Indiana, Vancouver, Washington, Traverse city, Michigan, Wheeling, West Virginia, Omaha, Nebraska, Portland, Oregon. Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, London England, Sarasota, Florida, Michigan, New York, NY
Representation
currently seeking gallery representation in France and Europe
Memberships past and present
Art du Pastel en France
Pastel Guild of Europe
Pastel du Opale
Hoosier Salon, Indiana
Premiere Pastel Society of Indiana
Pastel Society of Northern Indiana
Fort Wayne Artists Guild
Pastel Society of America
International Pastel Society
Northwest Pastel Society
Northwest Washington Watercolor Society
Women Artists of the West
American Women Artists
Portrait Society of America
National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society
American Impressionist Society
Oil Painters of America
Alla Prima Portland
Northwest Oil Painters Guild
Demos and Talks Presented
2025 Northwest oil painters guild zoom demo and talk
2024 New Orleans Drawing Group and PSA on Zoom
2024 Pastel Society of Oregon zoom demo and talk
2024 Iaps Convention Live demo dueling demos, and Royal Talens booth
2024 Pastel Artists of Oregon, Zoom Demo
2024/2025 Art School Live, Eric Rhoads, You Tube
2023 Midwest Museum of Art, Demo/talk guest speaker
2023 Lakeland Art Center , Unity With Variety
2022 Jeffrey Krull Gallery, Unity With Variety
2022 Gallery K, demo
2022 Member Meeting Fort Wayne Artists Guild, demo/talk
2021 Member meeting Muncie Artists Guild , demo/ talk
2021 Garrett Museum of Art , Demo/ talk
2021 Fort Wayne Artist Guild demos at Jefferson Pointe
2019 Jansen Art Center demo
2019 Northwest Oil Painters Guild guest speaker/ demo
2019 Society of Washington Artists guest artist speaker/demo
2018 Vancouver Art Space Portrait demo
2018 Attic Gallery First Friday demo
2017 Book Signing Event Founding Mother's Book, Three Creeks and Cascade Park Libraries, Vancouver, Washington
2017 Artist Talk and Demo, Ft. Vancouver, Vancouver, Washington
2017 Artist Talk, Geezer, Gallery, Terwiliger Plaza, Portland, Oregon
2016 Clark County Historical Society , Artist talk and Demo , Vancouver, Washington
2015 Ridgefield Washington Quick Draw, Ridgefield, Washington
2015 Clark County Fair, Vancouver, Washington
2015 Northwest Oil Painters Guild, portrait painting alla prima, Vancouver, Washington
2015 Colombia Artists Association, portrait painting alla prima, Vancouver, Washington
2014 Northwest Oil Painters Guild, portrait painting alla prima, Vancouver, Washington
2014 Battleground Art Alliance Harvest Days, alla prima portrait, Battleground, Washngton
2013 Gallery 360, alla prima portrait painting Vancouver, Washington
2013 Salvation Army youth group , alla prima portrait in pastel, Vancouver, Washington
2012 Battleground Art Alliance, alla prima portrait in pastel, Battleground, Washington
Selective Workshops and classes taught
2024 Beginning oil painting, Adjunct Professor, St. Francis University, Fort Wayne, Indiana
2024 Expressive Portraits, zoom workshop Society of Oregon Artists
2024 Intro to Pastel, Lakeland Art Center , Warsaw, Indiana
2023 All About the Figure, Uart Premium Pastel Papers
2023 pastel Intro, First Presbyterian, Fort Wayne
2022 pastel portraiture, Fort Wayne Artists Guild and Muncie Artists Guild
2022 Elements of painting and color mixing, Purdue Fort Wayne enrichment
2021 Portrait structure, zoom online, from Fort Wayne, Indiana home studio
2019 Pastel and Fundamentals of art in home studio, Vancouver, Washington
2019 Value to color ,Portland Fine arts Guild, Portland, Oregon
2018 Color Mixing, Pastel and charcoal Portraits, Portraits in Paint, Vancouver Art Space, Vancouver, Washington
2017/2018 Portraits from Life, 3 mediums , Color Mixing, Starting Methods. Portland Fine Arts Guild, Portland, Oregon
2017 Touchmark Retirement Community, Elements of painting , Vancouver, Washington
2016 H Couture Arts Studio , intensive color mixing
2015 H Couture Arts Studio, pastel portrait painting, Oil portrait painting
2014 Arts Desire , charcoal and pastel portrait painting, Vancouver, Washington
Publications
2024 IAPS Convention Book, USA
2024 Pastel Journal winter issue, USA
2022 Unity with Variety, self published , Fort Wayne, Indiana
2020 Practique des Arts Issue 53, France
