About | colin-hayes

S T A T E M E N T

“As a child, I remember watching black and white Popeye cartoons (Syndicated reruns. I’m not THAT old!) and being fascinated by the detailed backgrounds. I wanted to be an artist who drew those. That led to a stage where I wanted to work as a Disney animator, creating elaborately detailed backgrounds and scenes. As I grew up, my obsession with cartooning and animation diminished, but my interest in drawing detailed, realistic images remained.

Today, as an artist, I enjoy getting lost in the details of whatever I’m creating. While not a ‘hyper-realist,’ I prefer to work in a tight, realistic style using colored pencils, pastels, graphite and charcoal. My pieces may take many hours (or days, or weeks) to complete, but I find the process to be quite meditative. And the end result, in my mind, is worth the time and effort.

My work almost always includes animals and nature, sometimes in a whimsical way, sometimes more thought-provokingly. When observing animals, we can often see ourselves.”

-Colin Hayes

Colin Hayes spent much of his childhood with a crayon or pencil in hand, creating images. Unlike most kids, though, he never stopped drawing.

His dad was a private pilot, and while on a flight with him, Colin "illustrated" the entire instrument cluster of the airplane during the flight, at the age of 5.

When Colin was 13, his dad pulled some strings and got him into a college art class at William Jewel College, in Liberty, MO. It was an experience that made a permanent impact on him. It was the first time he thought he might just have a future in art.

Being a member of the Art Honor Society in high school, as well as winning the Most Artistic award in his senior class further fueled those artistic ambitions. He graduated from the Art Institute of Seattle in 1989, and after a few years at a small design firm and as a staff artist at a local newspaper, he embarked on a freelance illustration career. After 30+ years as a professional illustrator, he has redirected his focus toward creating his own work.

In his free time (when there IS free time), he enjoys kayaking, hiking, cycling bird watching and league bowling. All at the same time, on a really good day.

B I O

The Early Years

AWARDS & HONORS

Art On The Green 2024 Juried Show: First Place, Best Drawing – "Safe Space"

Tishomingo Arts Council, Annual Competition, 2023: First Place - "Beauty & Neglect"

Art Fluent online gallery, Animalia, Apr. 2023: Finalist - "Safe Space"

SHADES OF GREEN 2023, CAMELBACK GALLERY
International Juried VISUAL ARTS Exhibition: Silver Award - "Beauty & Neglect"

SHADES OF RED 2023, CAMELBACK GALLERY

International Juried Art Exhibition: Finalist - "Family Time"

TERAVARNA 11th ANIMAL INTERNATIONAL JURIED COMPETITION

Talent Prize Award: "Beauty & Neglect"

FOR ILLUSTRATION:

2016 Communicator Award of Distinction, illustrations for self-promotional category, created for Fingerpaint Marketing, "Selfie Self-Discretion" (signage in Albany Int'l Airport)
2015 W3 Silver award (same illustrations and category as above)
SPJ Northwest Excellence in Journalism Competition. First Place winner in Magazines: Cartoons & Illustrations category for illustrations created for Seattle Met Magazine, 2013.