Interview with illustrator Anne Hayes
Anne Hayes is one of Brisbane’s quiet achievers. Her creative journey started in the advertising and commercial illustration industry during the early 1990’s. She then moved to New Zealand and practiced as a fine artist in both watercolours and oil paintings for ten years.
Upon her return to Australia, Anne studied graphic design to catch up with her digital skills, and try to combine some of her creative talents. Freelancing for various design studios and publishing firms, Anne has since illustrated eight children’s books.
During a visit to the Society for growing Australian Plants display at Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens, Anne was introduced to the world of botanical artwork at the Botanical Art Society of Queensland stall. Being intrigued, Anne promptly joined the Society and hasn’t looked back. Anne’s detailed personality and experience with watercolours and illustration lend her beautifully to this niche creative practice.
Anne’s stunning illustrations have appeared in two nature spreads in Australian Geographic, and she is a featured artist of Australian Geographic’s 2013 Art Calendar.
At last year’s Lockyer Valley art awards, Anne won first prize in the still-life/floral/fauna section. Anne currently has a painting hanging in the Focus on Nature XII exhibition at the New York State Museum and a technical botanical illustration in the 2012 Margaret Flockton Award in Sydney at the moment.
Looking forward, Anne is preparing her entry for the 14th International Exhibition of Botanical Art and Illustration at the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation.
Read on to learn more about Anne’s creative practice.
How have you got to where you are today?
I’m a self-taught watercolour artist and have always drawn. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t sketching or painting. I started off as a commercial illustrator in an illustration studio in the Valley back in the early 90s. We mainly did work for the advertising industry – lots of architectural rendering, packaging, advertising, Black and white and watercolour illustration.
I then spent 10 years in New Zealand and set up an art studio where I concentrated on large-scale landscapes in oil. I was represented by 2 galleries – one in the North and one in the South Island. When I returned to Australia I did a 2-year Graphic design course where I became familiar with using a computer. I’ve worked for advertising agencies and also a publishing company where I was employed as a project designer. Apart from general design jobs, I illustrated 8 children’s books for them – both digital and in watercolour.
I’ve come to botanical art only recently and find that it suits my detailed nature perfectly.
In a few words, describe yourself…
With regard to my artwork – I’m pedantic, have endless patience, am a perfectionist and never give up. I’m always striving to do better, to learn as much as I can, and stretch myself with painting challenges. I’m completely obsessed with botanical art and all other forms of painting and drawing in general.
What are you spending your time on at the moment?
I’m finishing off three botanical paintings at the moment with a view to getting them into the 14th International Exhibition of Botanical Art and Illustration at the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation in Pittsburgh. The Hunt is the pre-eminent botanical art institute in the world. I would love to have my work included in their upcoming exhibition.
Do you have a ritual for getting into the creative mindset? Or a creative process?
I don’t have a ritual to get into the creative mindset. I start work and the creative process just happens. I work every day and evening irrespective of how I might be feeling. Painting, for me, is the one thing that makes me the most contented. I’m addicted to the feeling of being content, so I paint.
I also have to start to fall in love with the painting whilst I’m doing it because that ensures that it will turn out to be the best that I can possibly manage; it’s almost like being in a meditative trance.
What or who inspires you?
I’m inspired by creating something from nothing. That’s why I like design, illustration and fine art – they are all areas where you can make something with your hands; something of beauty that reflects the best of what’s around you.
I’m inspired by anybody who has started with not much, worked hard, stayed on course and done well. Artist’s who inspire me are Pandora Sellers, Raymond Harris-Ching, Andrew Wyeth and lately, Shaun Tan. I love Shaun’s depictions of loneliness and isolation. He has a whimsy and beauty about his work. I’m not really inspired by the subject matter of what an artist might paint, but the feeling their work evokes in me.
I also spend a good deal of time trawling the internet looking at artists’ work, I find that inspiring too.
What are you most proud of?
I’m most proud of doing commmission work for Australian Geographic and having my botanical work featured in their Art Calender for 2013.
Apart from that, it would have to be the High Distinction I was awarded when I did my examination in high school maths at night school! Mathematics is one of those things that I’m really not mentally equipped for, but I memorised everything I could and got a good mark. As soon as I walked out of the examination room, however, I forgot every last vestige of the mathematics I’d just learnt.
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
As a child I wanted to be an artist when I grew up; through lots of twists and turns I’ve got there.
