From taking up drawing when she was young, to majoring in art at Smith College in the 1980s, Patricia Czepiel Hayes has been involved with art for years. She’s earned her living primarily as a graphic designer, creating printed publications for educational institutions, but in recent years she’s devoted increased time to her oil painting and to exhibiting, such as at Northampton’s Paradise City Arts Festival and with the Sawmill River Arts Gallery, a collective in Montague.
The Easthampton native, who now lives in Hadley, says she helped put herself through college working in the city’s old factories, including the one that now houses her studio at 1 Cottage Street. “When I take a break from painting and look out the window, I imagine myself walking into that old factory entrance that I can still see. One hundred yards away. A lifetime ago.”
Steve Pfarrer: Talk about the work you’re currently doing. What does it involve, and what are you trying to achieve?
Patricia Czepiel Hayes:
Lately I feel driven to paint what I simply call “daydreams.” (A brilliant theme that gets me out of having to come up with clever titles.) These expressive landscapes come mostly from my imagination … It’s an intuitive process, an exploration. As I work, I’m searching for something. I might start out with no idea what that is, but it definitely feels hopeful.
S.P.: What do you draw inspiration from? Do you ever have any “Eureka!” moments?
P.C.H.: My paintings are inspired by nature, turmoil, survival, and hope. I don’t have big “Eureka” moments. I have smaller moments of surprise or awareness as I’m painting, or when I see something amazing in nature. I’ve learned to pay attention to those moments. They translate into individual brush strokes and are steps that are leading me somewhere.
S.P.:How do you know when your work is finished?
P.C.H.: I can’t look at it anymore.
S.P.:Have you ever had a “mistake” — a project that seemed to be going south — turn into a wonderful discovery instead?
P.C.H.: Almost every painting I’ve ever done has involved moments when I was sure something wasn’t working and I thought I’d wasted my time and materials. Those are moments of doubt. Amazing stuff happens after I push through those moments.
S.P.:If you weren’t an artist, what do you think you’d be?
P.C.H.: I love science and reading about medicine. Maybe I’d be a doctor. Or a researcher working to cure disease. And/or a dog walker.
S.P.:What’s your go-to snack while you’re working?
P.C.H.: I never eat while painting. It’s only a matter of time before you end up with paint in your mouth.
S.P.:Do you listen to music while you’re working?
P.C.H.: Rather than listening to music, I prefer complete quiet, or hearing the birds or wind and rain outside. Clearing my mind helps me pay better attention to the natural state of my imagination.
S.P.:What do you do when you’re stuck?
P.C.H: Feeling stuck is frustrating. But it’s part of the process, so it’s important for me to acknowledge it and try to figure out why I’m stuck. If I can’t, I keep painting anyway. If I’m really, really stuck I’ll go for a walk. Exercise is great for the brain, and a little more oxygen can’t hurt the imagination.
Hayes’ work will be on display in her studio, No. 508 at 1 Cottage Street in Easthampton, on Dec. 1, 2, 3 and 9 during Cottage Street’s annual open studios. event. Her website is:
hadleydesignworks.net