Southern Indiana Living Magazine - July/August 2024

This is evident in her painting
and in her conversation. When
asked if her paintings have more
detail and more color than can actually
be found in nature, she is firm
about nature’s splendor: “If you really
look at nature, you will see so
much color, even in the shadows. If
you look, you will see it,” she said.
One of the judges for the Winsor
& Newton Award referred to
Hillegas’ painting as “hyperrealism,”
a genre of painting that looks
like a high-resolution photo. When
Hillegas takes the reference photos
for her paintings, she sometimes
holds the camera just a few inches
from the object, zooming in to capture
the most intimate details of the
natural world.
The process by which Hillegas
creates a painting is both painstaking
and intuitive. She begins with a
detailed drawing, very lightly penciled
because watercolor will not
hide pencil marks.
“The key to creating the effect
of light in a watercolor is to leave
the white paper untouched,” Hillegas
said. “White paint will not
achieve the same effect. It makes
the painting chalky.”
So, she begins the painting
by applying a masking fluid to the
parts of the painting where she
wants to keep the paper dry and
free of paint — where she wants
light. After applying the masking
fluid, pale colors are painted first,
and darker colors last. While each
layer is drying, Hillegas thinks
about the painting.
“I am not a fast painter,” she
said. “I spend as much time stepping
back and thinking about the
piece as I do applying paint.” Perhaps
this is the point where her
brush with magic happens. •
The watercolors of Cathy Hillegas will
be on display in her solo show, “Chasing
the Light,”at Harrison County Arts in
Corydon from July 12 to Sept. 7. There
will be an opening reception for this
show on Saturday, July 13, from 5:30
to 7:30 p.m. You can also check out her
work at cathyhillegas.com.
Pictured: (top) “Pink Water Lillies,” a watercolor by
Cathy Hillegas.
14 • July/Aug 2024 • Southern Indiana Living