Unravelling

Artist's Statement - Paulette Hayes

I have painted and drawn from an early age

and discovered the joy of fabric and stitching when aged 13.

My art explorations continued throughout my life while living in the Australian Bush,

working as a Registered Nurse, teacher, farmer, saw mill owner and activist for social justice.

Nursing taught me to feel compassion and understanding of the human condition

– this guides the content of my work.

 Farming led me to growing my own flock of sheep,

learning to shear, spin and dye using native plants from my own land.

Patchwork and quilting followed on from this.

Teaching forced me to educate myself about all forms and expressions of art

and being a sawmill owner taught me persistence, a sensitivity to my environment,

and sculpture from found and shaped timber and machinery.

From my social justice involvement

I learnt that something amazing can be created from hard work and love

and that following my heart was where my strength was to be found.

My work is a major focus in my life.

Every day is devoted to photographing, designing, painting,

stitching, dyeing, drawing, printing,

learning, looking, playing and researching.

I spent 2014 at Southern Cross University in my first year of Visual Art

but this year I am enrolled at TAFE in the Diploma of Visual Art

nd gaining important skills in drawing, painting, sculpture, ceramics and print making.

I intend to go back to SCU and complete the degree after I complete my Diploma.

My work speaks of personal experiences from my life, my friends and my travels.

I ask myself “How can I say what I want with thread, paint or clay

– what colour, what technique, what texture, what emotion, what else?”

My inspiration comes from both the external world and my inner world:

The Myall Creek Massacre in Australia, the Killing Fields of Cambodia,

the cycle of birth and death, women’s roles and issues, the search for justice,

the environment both macro and micro and finally,

the textures, the threads, the weaving, the unraveling, the mending of myself.