Get to know the colourful world of Armidale artist Janna Hayes whose creative works reflect the personal growth experienced throughout drought, bushfires and COVID-19.

Why did you start creating art?

I’ve dreamt about being an artist my whole life – my head is always full of the things I’d love to create or paint. It wasn’t until a year ago that I was able to make it a priority and really start to develop my own style, partly due to growing as a person through the experiences of drought, bushfires and Covid-19, and partly due to the incredible support my husband has shown me – along with the occasional kick up the bum.

What has been your most memorable moment?

As an artist, it’s a toss up between Kate at Weswal Gallery in Tamworth giving me the opportunity to have an exhibition, which is a lifelong dream come true, and also seeing that my kids are genuinely proud of me. They take their playdates on tours through my studio and tell them all about my art – it just melts my heart and tells me I’m on the right path.

What do you have planned for the future?

I’ve got a full-sized solo exhibition at Weswal Gallery scheduled for May 2024. I’m really excited to get stuck into the work for that because it will be very different to what I’ve been doing recently – it feels quite ambitious which is a great place to be creatively. The works will be mostly fibre art and will explore the way local folklore influences our sense of identity today. It will be really playful and hopefully quite unique. I have a rug tufting gun which is a bit like a cross between a drill and a sewing machine that shoots wool – it’s so much fun to use.

If you could give someone one piece of advice about following their dreams of becoming an artist, what would it be?

You only get one life, what are you waiting for?

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