Abounding painter and sculptor, as well as author, actor, and poet, Gene Hatfield was more than a person who produced artwork. Unique, and passionate about creating, Hatfield was incapable of viewing the world through eyes other than the ones of an artist. Dedicated, and prolific in his production, Hatfield simply saw and felt the world as only an artist does.

Gene was generous, charitable, compassionate, and a willing teacher and collaborator. He is credited by many of his students for ‘opening their eyes to art’, and he influenced or collaborated with many fellow artists and teachers, including Arkansas artists Gary Scroggs, Kevin Kresse, and Katherine Strause.

Gene’s spirit lives on in all of his three children and five grandchildren, all proud to continue working in and supporting the arts in the tradition of Gene Hatfield. Hatfield’s art survives in his family’s voluminous collection, and his influence continues in the works of his artist son, Marc Hatfield, and granddaughter Caroline Hatfield, both of whom are dedicated artists.

“Some of my very earliest memories are of being on the kitchen floor 'coloring' with broken crayons my parents kept in an old cigar box. My dad was an art instructor at the local college, and he would collect the leftover broken pieces of crayons from his classroom. They were too small to have any part of the wrappers on them, so the names of the colors were missing. Many of them were very dark, and appeared to be the same color, but their true colors would show up on the white page. All shades of purples and blues and various reds were there, and I would memorize which of the little dark pieces yielded what color.​

I am still drawn to color, and I still don't necessarily know all the names of the various paint hues I use. I just grab the one that is 'that color of blue' and I love to mix them until they look like the next color I want to use. I guess I am still just 'coloring' like a kid, and still have just as much fun when I paint as I did in Mom's kitchen as a child. These days I am attracted to Aspen forests, mountain scenes, snowy rivers, and the big skies all around me.” — Marc Hatfield

Caroline’s artistic endeavors have also been inspired by Gene’s ingenuity, imagination, and colorful play. She shares “I remember painting with Grandpa in his yard when I was younger. He taught me how to see the world around me as an endless source of material and inspiration, as well as how to loosen up and turn any “mistake” into another adventure. He stoked my growing artistic passion with his validation, wisdom, and genuine excitement, and allowed me to explore my own independent visions in the safety of his guidance. I will never forget the recycled bean cans we used for turpentine, the soft confidence in his voice, or the way he held a paintbrush.” Right after Gene passed away, Caroline was particularly inspired by his flowers & faces style. Since then, she has been drawing from his technique to create her own improvised works of abstract impressionism.