Lemon-Scented Gum. 2023, Oil on linen, 100" x 82".
How do you get in the zone?
Hayley: I get in the zone by burning incense, lighting a candle, wearing the stone or stones of the day, listening to music, dancing, singing, or lying on the earth with a lithium crystal on my chest. I go for walks, swim laps, lift weights, and water my plants. Sometimes, I pull a tarot card. I always need to be well-fed, hydrated, and have lunch in the fridge.
In a parallel universe, what would your life be like? What would your art be like?
Hayley: In a parallel universe, I’d have a shop with several offerings. An “emporium,” if you will (lol). It would include native plants, vintage clothes, and garments from local designers. I’d have a large room dedicated to feminist and queer new-age books and decks. There would be a mini gallery in the back with art by friends and weirdos. And maybe a sauna/hot tub/cold bath too. Why not!? Actually, this is something I might do in this life! Can I trademark this? In another (or this) parallel universe, my art would be music. I’d be a singer-songwriter and also be in a rock band on the side, just for fun.
Who is one of your earliest sources of inspiration?
Hayley: Georg Baselitz. I remember my folks taking my sister Taryn and me to the LACMA when we were kids. I saw one of his upside-down paintings of a person in a chair, hung high above a doorway. I can vividly recall thinking hard about that painting. It didn’t make any sense to me, and yet I was utterly captivated. I’m still grateful for the opportunity to encounter a work of art that challenged me to expand what I thought of as art.
Who is one of your newest found sources of inspiration?
Hayley: Besides Trixie & Katya? Probably the band Babehoven. Their music puts me in just the right mood to paint for hours and hours. Maya Bon is an excellent singer. The lyrics are so circular, emotional, flowing. I hope to see them in person one day.
How do you conquer a creative block?
Hayley: Pause. Unplug from everything. Solitude. Ground. Look around slowly and deeply.
When I am painting, I lose myself. But I don’t know if it’s a daydream. It might be more like the world of memory and sensory perception mingled with color.
Pick your top 5 and list in priority.
Hayley: 1. Solitude (see above) 2. Music (literally the electricity I need to plug into Source) 3. Sleep (nothing good happens without enough rest) 4. Nature (my Goddess is Nature. Nature is my Goddess. I will always need Her/Them, as I am of Her/Them. Nature is my guide, my muse, my solace, my friend, my sacred space.) 5. Laughter (a necessary anecdote to all the deep thinking and feeling I do all day when I am painting, as well as a way to cope with the challenging political times we are in. I come home exhausted and need to let go! Funny tv or karaoke is the best way).
Spring Valentine Path. 2024, Oil on linen, 100" x 82".
What is your favorite time of day? Why?
Hayley: Morning is my favorite time of day. I rarely stay up once it is dark outside, but I love the darkness of the morning. I love looking for the moon and waiting for the first birds to sing as the sun rises above the San Bernardino Mountains. I like to see which birds I can identify on my Merlin app. I do my writing, thinking, reading, and best visioning in the morning. I come up with most of my ideas for paintings in the morning, and usually on walks or when tending my garden. Also, I love having coffee with my cats, Henry, Donna, and Kali.
Do you dream a lot? Does it influence your art? Do you have recurring dreams?
Hayley: I dream so much and recall some. I have very detailed dreams about natural landscapes, which include stones, soils, plants, animals, and skies. Sometimes, these elements are mingled and mixed up, and I get to spend hours (of dreamtime) searching through what feels like miles of colorful, sparkling, textured debris. I find things in the dirt and hold on to them. And sometimes the sky is dramatic, like on the edge of a storm.
Flowers from Blair. 2022, Oil on linen, 80" x 65".
When do you often lose yourself in a daydream?
Hayley: When I am painting, I lose myself. But I don’t know if it’s a daydream. It might be more like the world of memory and sensory perception mingled with color.
Who is your rock?
Hayley: My sweet life partner and husband, Tim, is my rock, my human, and my dear, beloved best friend. He is always there for me and supports me in so many ways. We have so much fun together, and he always makes me laugh. He’s been there since the beginning, and I pray we grow really very old together.
Do you have anyone that you love to collaborate with?
Hayley: I love collaborating with Wingate Press, which is in Hinsdale, NH. It’s a fabulous print studio run by master printers Peter and James Pettingill, father and son. Working with those two on my first etching last year was a powerful experience. I loved knowing I could trust them to create the truest version of my print, the closest to my imagined image. Now I have the print bug! I just want to make more and more. Wingate is also located on their family farm, so I got to work on the loveliest land. Their chickens lay the best eggs I’ve ever tasted.
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