Artist Statement

In the spring of 2020, with the isolation brought on by the pandemic, I began to study the eccentric branches on the Little Gem magnolias in the backyard. The limbs would arc and turn and twist and finally produce a bud at the end of the branch. I found the branches as beautiful as the buds with the colorful lichen attached. Further afield, in Overton Park in Memphis, I found branches on Grandiflora magnolias stretching horizontally for twenty feet before presenting a magnificent bud. One ancient tree in particular became a source for several paintings.

-Randy Hayes

Artist Bio

Most of my youth was lived with my extended family on a farm near the small town of Clinton, Mississippi. My interest in drawing was encouraged by my relatives. At the age of seventeen I moved with my family to Tupelo, Mississippi where I began to try to teach myself to paint in oil. At Southwestern at Memphis, now Rhodes College, I enrolled in my first art class.
Three experiences influenced my life and art. At the age of nineteen, I took a freighter to Europe with a classmate. On a meagre budget we hitchhiked through seven countries and visited many museums. This experience solidified my desire to become an artist.

In 1970 I relocated to Boston and became a freelance scenic artist. Most of my work was with PBS Television at WGBH. Building, painting and designing sets I learned many skills which have remained important to my art. Working in television studios, on film locations and at concert halls, I became experienced at working on a large scale.

In 1975 I moved to Seattle and began a used and rare book shop with a partner. Within the store I established a gallery and exhibited the work of numerous artists. I also exhibited vintage photography and became steeped in the history of photography.

At the same time, my own art was being exhibited in museums and galleries throughout the United States. I continue to exhibit to this day.

In 2014 I returned to Mississippi to live and work.