Born in rural Arkansas (Dallas County) in 1934, Hearne grew up among people, like her father, who made their living logging, farming or sharecropping. "While my paintings speak specifically to my own upbringing, I hope they allow viewers of all backgrounds to glimpse a way of life that has all but disappeared."
She has received numerous awards and participated in solo and regional exhibitions and is represented in both private and corporate collections. Private collectors include former President Bill Clinton and Senator Hillary Clinton, Mary Matalin, advisor to Vice President Dick Cheney, Harry and Linda Bloodworth Thomason, Hollywood Producers, and Julia Norrell, whose collection toured museums nationwide during 2000-2001. One of her paintings was featured in the Julia Norrell exhibit, "Common Ground" at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 10/2004 to 1/31/2005. She was one of 10 artists selected for commemorative items to be marketed for the Arkansas Sesquicentennial Celebration in 1986. One of her paintings was selected for permanent exhibition on the Navy's nuclear battleship, USS Arkansas, until its retirement. One of her paintings was selected runner up in Art Network's Millennium Edition of " Encyclopedia of Living Artists" contest, Nevada City, CA. Two Paintings were selected by Harcourt College Publishers to be reproduced in the 10th Ed. of textbook, "Looking Out, Looking In,' copyright year, 2002. She is registered with the National Museum of Women in the Arts.