Alex Hayes creates a visual surrounding genuine feelings of her meditative state, through the unique, conceptual mixed mediums of oil pastel and pen work.
Artist Statement:
Meditative line drawings started as an experimental practice for Alex Hayes as a kind of mindfulness meditation. She was working on ways to incorporate meditation into my day more and came up with this practice. Alex starts off sitting with a pen and an open sketchbook. She closes her eyes to allow her hand to move as it pleases without ever lifting the pen off the page. By not visualizing what she's drawing, it allows her body to move as it wants to. Alex would do this very slowly for several minutes, letting the motion of her arm inform the drawing. The experience becomes a kind of
trance for a few minutes, a full body experience. When she feels as though she's finished, she will open her eyes and access the mark she made. Sometimes the marks are short and choppy, changing directions often. Other times the marks are flowing and loose. Studying this line, Alex would then add colour or fill in certain areas where the line had made itself into closed shapes. This is a very intuitive process for Alex, she doesn’t overthink any decision made. Thinking of these drawings as short meditation session in themselves. Often times Alex feels she doesn't have time in her day to sit down and meditate as often as she would like to. These drawings can be done anywhere and while she doesn’t rush, they do get completed quite quickly. This has become a regular practice for her throughout the day, while sitting in classes or sitting on the bus for example. By carrying her sketchbook around wherever she goes, she is able to access it whenever in need. Not only does this type of drawing inspire Alex creatively, but it has really helped her meditate more regularly and more intensely. In the last year or so Alex discovered another technique she calls scratched oil pastel. Using this technique in the meditative line drawings as well as pen. By using oil pastel to cover an area and with an etching tool used in printmaking, she scratches off the wax of the pastel and the colour of the pastel remains on the sheet.
About the Artist:
Alex Hayes is currently studying Visual and Digital Arts at Humber College just outside of Toronto, Ontario. She is a big fan of experimenting and being able to find a new way to use a material that she already loves. Alex works a lot with oil paint and oil pastel and with pastels she discovered a technique that she formed called transferring. Alex pushes herself to the limits of her materials more to see what she can create.
Artist Media Links:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/aalexhayes/