Tag: Connie Hayes

Featured Artist: Connie Hayes!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured Artist4 Comments
Six Boats, Vinalhaven by Connie Hayes Oil on Panel 9x12"
Six Boats, Vinalhaven by Connie Hayes
Oil on Panel 9×12″

Connie Hayes. One of my all time favorites. I’ll never forget the first time I saw her work at Dowling Walsh. I was floored. Speechless (which doesn’t happen often). Large, gorgeous paintings, one after another. It was magnificent!

Six Boats, Vinalhaven is a wonderful painting full of all the wonderful colors on Connie’s palette. She catches that perfect light which just POPS out at you against a dark background, so, so nice!

Connie is part of a show at Dowling Walsh Gallery in Rockland, Maine, along with artists Robert Pollien and David Vickery!

The show begins today June 6, 2014 with an opening reception this evening from 5-8PM. This show runs through June 28, 2014. 

Room at Apple Farm #2 by Connie Hayes Oil on Muslin on Panel
Room at Apple Farm #2 by Connie Hayes
12 x 12″ Oil on Muslin on Panel

I am a sucker for interiors, and Connie’s are stunning. Room at Apple Farm #2 is no exception, that wonderful light spilling in the window creating those dancing shadows. LOVELY! I still go back and look at older pieces that I love (but are far beyond my price point), its fun to dream, and I do have Connie’s book, Painting Maine: The Borrowed Views of Connie Hayes (STUNNING) – if you ever see that when you’re out and about, buy it!! It’s out of print now…

There is a surprise element to this show… some of the main paintings I have not featured… just so that you will be surprised! Go look…

Fabulous, right? Love them!

To preview Connie’s show, click HERE.

Read the artist’s statement  from the Dowling Walsh website, click HERE to read more about Connie as well as to see a critique of her show!

My paintings currently involve flowers, brooms, rakes, and workspaces related to gardening. Colors range from high key to very muted. I continue to be interested in glowing light, believable space, and color surprises. Greenhouses, barns, sheds and the ways tools and supplies are organized or untamed offer interiors quite unlike domesticated interiors. Tools for digging, harvesting, raking, transplanting, and organizing nature’s elements bring outside chaos into shed and barn interiors, appearing to win the game of weeding and edging of garden rooms. Portraits of flower heads present the garden’s individuals. Subject matter gives this new group of work a narrative quality, but I still like to teeter along the same edge of abstraction. The visceral quality of paint itself invites departure from explicit depiction.

All images via DowlingWalsh.com with permission…

Catch you back here tomorrow!

F L A S H B A C K !

O n e  Y e a r  A g o:            The Sugarberry Cottage by Southern Living

T w o  Y e a r s  A g o:         Artist: James Richards

T h r e e  Y e a r s  A g o:    Brickmaker’s Coffee Table

Featured Artist: Connie Hayes!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured Artist8 Comments
Mullions in June by Connie Hayes
Connie Hayes, Mullions in June, Oil on canvas, 36″ x 36″

Stunning! Connie Hayes is an all time favorite of mine. Her use of color is intriguing and draws the viewer in. She’s versatile in her subjects, but one of my favorites are her interiors, they just blow me away! Her paintings make me want to be right there… in that sun filled room, looking out at the water. This painting is still available… I can’t imagine it will be for long! If you’re interested, contact Dowling Walsh at 207.596.0084 or email info@dowlingwalsh.com!

Painting Maine: The Borrowed Views of Connie Hayes
Painting Maine: The Borrowed Views of Connie Hayes

I received her book, Painting Maine: The Borrowed Views of Connie Hayes, as a gift one year. I treasure that book. It is full of amazing paintings. It’s now out of print, but you can still get it online at a few places (Amazon being one)… More about the Borrowed Views concept below…

Here is a review about Connie from the Dowling Walsh Gallery website, written by Stephen May:

Review

“In all respects, Connie Hayes is a fearless, intuitive painter. Her highly colorful, strongly stroked canvases look like the result of an orderly process of sketches, underdrawing and application of paint. In reality, although she sometimes uses such aids before she approaches the easel in her capacious studio, most of the time she starts work on a blank canvas, wielding a 3 to 4-inch wide brush to get going. Then, as she says, she “dives in,” composing the rest of the picture, much of which she may have thought out in her head, balancing images and colors to achieve a satisfactorily aesthetic final result. On some occasions, she says, “the paint speaks to me and I go off in unexpected directions. I like surprises.” This is an extremely intense exercise; Hayes says she gets into a “zone” until the work is finished or set aside for future amendments.

Her subjects range from boats and water to communities viewed from ships or roads, to backyards, house interiors and floral still lifes. “I like not being pigeon-holed, Hayes says.

Her brightly hued colors, which often have nothing to do with the actual look of the original building or boat, are chosen with deliberation, depending on what role she wants the painted object to play in the overall composition. Her radiant blues, blazing reds, and sunny yellows make ordinary scenes come alive and help draw viewers into the painting. Often of late she has utilized more muted colors to achieve the results she seeks.

After a long stint as a teacher and administrator at the Maine College of Art, Hayes has worked at the top of her game since moving from Portland to Rockland in 2005, about half the period covered by this exhibition. Much of her art results from her “Borrowed Views” project, in which she spends up to a week painting in and around the homes of friends all over Maine.

Ever trying new approaches to her art, mindful of art historical precedents and armed with a spirit of adventure, Connie Hayes has many interesting paintings ahead of her. Whether borrowing views or moving about on her own, it will be interesting to see what this thoughtful, gifted painter achieves in the years ahead.”

– written by Stephen May for “A Decade of Views” exhibition, Dowling Walsh Gallery, September 2009

Images via DowlingWalsh.com

F L A S H B A C K

O N E   Y E A R   A G O…        Whoa! This looks like a Marc Hanson painting!

T W O   Y E A R S   A G O…   Holiday Hint: Edy’s Peppermint Ice Cream!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist… Connie Hayes!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured Artist2 Comments

“Blue Scooter 1” by Connie Hayes

Image: Dowling Walsh

Connie Hayes is an icon. She is a wicked good painter. I would LOVE one of her interiors, they are beyond stunning… or any of the landscapes that she’s so known for, the way she can paint a house, dock or a winding road, WOW! This show is a departure from her normal painting subjects, this show entitled “Abandon, Absorption, and Entrancement” is at the Dowling Walsh Gallery located in Rockland, Maine (across the street from the Farnsworth Museum). If you haven’t been to the Dowling Walsh Gallery before, let me tell you what you are missing. A state of the art gorgeous gallery with some of the most famous names in the art business. Dowling Walsh is a high end gallery that spares no expense in promoting their artists. It’s one of my very favorite galleries, and I truly look forward to spending time there each and every year! (It’s a nice plus that you can walk next door for a fabulous lunch, treat, coffee or tea at the bakery, and walk across the street to the Farnsworth Museum and Gift Shop, or to dinner at Rustica just down the street…) I guess what I’m trying to say is that Dowling Walsh is in THE perfect location… Don’t miss Connie’s show, trust me, it’s one you won’t soon forget! Lucky you! Tonight is Connie’s opening reception!

The painting above “Blue Scooter 1” shows such determination in the child’s face. Connie’s use of bright colors and bold brushstrokes is what she is known for. The dramatic shadows from the scooter really sets it all off. Brilliant!

Information (and photo) from the Dowling Walsh website:

Upcoming Exhibition: July 6 – July 29, 2012

Connie Hayes will be exhibiting her new collection of paintings, “Abandon, Absorption, and Entrancement,” at Dowling Walsh Gallery in July 2012. The show will examine portraits, people and interactions. The opening reception will be held on Friday, July 6, 2012 from 5-8 pm.

Preview the show here: Connie Hayes July 2012.

Connie will be giving an illustrated talk at The Strand Theater, “Photography as Sketchbook: Exploring Gesture”, on Tuesday, July 17, 2012 from 4-5pm.

Connie’s show is highlighted in Maine Home + Design’s April 2012 art issue. To download a copy of the article, click here: Show Stoppers.

Biography

Connie Hayes is a painter living in Rockland, Maine. She received her M.F.A. from Tyler School of Art at Temple University in Philadelphia, and Rome; her B.F.A. from the Maine College of Art in Portland; and her B.A. from the University of Maine. She received a fellowship to attend the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in 1989. Born in Gardiner, Maine she taught at the Maine College of Art for 10 years, also participating in arts administration there for 15 years, including serving as their interim Dean of Faculty. In 2003 she was awarded an honorary doctorate in fine arts from the Maine College of Art. From 1992-1998 she lived in New York City and since 1990 her pursuit has been “borrowed views”, as she lives and paints in others’ homes as an artist-in-residence. While she continues that work, she has recently been developing a new group of figure paintings, exploring gesture and color.

Connie Hayes held an exhibition, “A Decade of Views” at Dowling Walsh Gallery in the fall of 2009. To view a copy of this show catalog, click on the following link: Connie Hayes Web Catalog

Connie Hayes gave a presentation, titled “Up Close”, at the Strand Theatre in Rockland, Maine on September 18th, 2010. To view the presentation, please click here.

Her work was featured in Maine Home + Designmagazine August 2010 Issue. Following is a link to a PDF copy of the article feature: Hayes Article Feature- Maine Home and Design August 2010 Issue.

I want to leave you with one more image… isn’t this fabulous?

“Green Table, Vinalhaven” by Connie Hayes – Image: Dowling Walsh

Did I mention her use of light? Fabulous! Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured artist… Connie Hayes!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured ArtistLeave a comment

Mullions in June by artist Connie Hayes, Image: Dowling Walsh.com

Connie Hayes, an artist from Rockland, Maine, is todays featured artist. You can recognize her paintings from a distance. They are bright, bold and powerful. Magnificent in composition, Connie’s paintings draw you in. Oh, how I wish we knew about PAINTING MAINE, (the book of Connie’s) years ago… We most certainly would have bought it! Those of you who possess it have a treasure. This painting, Mullions in June, is one example of her bold style. I absolutely adore this painting! You must check out her WEBSITE, also check out her work from the Dowling Walsh Gallery in Maine!

“In all respects, Connie Hayes is a fearless, intuitive painter. Her highly colorful, strongly stroked canvases look like the result of an orderly process of sketches, underdrawing and application of paint. In reality, although she sometimes uses such aids before she approaches the easel in her capacious studio, most of the time she starts work on a blank canvas, wielding a 3 to 4-inch wide brush to get going. Then, as she says, she “dives in,” composing the rest of the picture, much of which she may have thought out in her head, balancing images and colors to achieve a satisfactorily aesthetic final result. On some occasions, she says, “the paint speaks to me and I go off in unexpected directions. I like surprises.” This is an extremely intense exercise; Hayes says she gets into a “zone” until the work is finished or set aside for future amendments.

Her subjects range from boats and water to communities viewed from ships or roads, to backyards, house interiors and floral still lifes. “I like not being pigeon-holed, Hayes says.

Her brightly hued colors, which often have nothing to do with the actual look of the original building or boat, are chosen with deliberation, depending on what role she wants the painted object to play in the overall composition. Her radiant blues, blazing reds, and sunny yellows make ordinary scenes come alive and help draw viewers into the painting. Often of late she has utilized more muted colors to achieve the results she seeks.

After a long stint as a teacher and administrator at the Maine College of Art, Hayes has worked at the top of her game since moving from Portland to Rockland in 2005, about half the period covered by this exhibition. Much of her art results from her “Borrowed Views” project, in which she spends up to a week painting in and around the homes of friends all over Maine.

Ever trying new approaches to her art, mindful of art historical precedents and armed with a spirit of adventure, Connie Hayes has many interesting paintings ahead of her. Whether borrowing views or moving about on her own, it will be interesting to see what this thoughtful, gifted painter achieves in the years ahead.”

written by Stephen May

Catch you back here tomorrow!