Harley Bartlett was born in 1959 near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He received his B.A. in 1981 at the University of Pennsylvania and followed up with studies at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts from 1984 to 1985. However, having lived in Rhode Island for most of his life, he considers himself a Rhode Islander. Harley’s paintings are known for their finely crafted compositions and subtle coloring. His brushwork and paint application are evocative of American and European paintings of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Along with poetic landscape and coastal paintings, he delves into the allied fields of Sporting and Marine art. Bartlett's experience in the art world is vast, having exhibited his paintings in galleries for over 30 years. His paintings can be found in many Rhode Island Institutions as well as private collections. He has been commissioned to create numerous paintings and murals for corporate offices, sporting clubs, businesses, and religious institutions. His work has been featured in publications such as American Artist Magazine, Florida Architecture, Traditional Home Magazine, Home Gallery, and recently Soundings Magazine. In 2018 he won several awards such as the Alden Bryan Memorial Award for Landscape at the Guild of Boston Artist’s annual members show, Best of Show at the Providence Art Club’s Fall Member show, and first prize at the Bryan Memorial Gallery’s Land & Light & Water exhibit. In 2019 he won an award of merit at the Lyme Art Association’s Waterworks show, and in 2020 he won third place in the Providence Art Club’s fall member show. His work has been juried into many of the recent International Marine Art Exhibitions put on by the Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport. He was the president of one of the oldest art clubs in the United States, The Providence Art Club, from 2003-2007, where he also served as a board member and secretary. In 2015, he was voted in as an Elected Member at The Guild of Boston Artists and currently serves on the board. He was elected to serve as president of the Lyme Art Association, where he has also served as a board member and is an Elected Artist, in 2020. Additionally, he is an Artist Member at the Rockport Art Association. His work is found in prominent country clubs across the Northeast, cruise ships owned by the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, and several casinos across the United States. One of his long time clients is The Capital Grille, having created paintings and murals for 45 locations since the 1990s. He additionally created the decor package for their new restaurant series, The Capital Burger.