Jeffrey Hayes is a contemporary still life painter who is very much a student of the still life masters of the past, particularly the great Dutch painters of the 17th century.
Hayes explores the use of light, shadow and texture in defining his forms, at times in chiaroscuro, at other times in more muted value relationships, but always with a keen awareness of subtle variations in surface and color.
I first wrote about Hayes during the first few months I was writing Lines and Colors, back in 2005, and again in 2010; and I’ve watched with interest over the years as he has continued to refine his evocations or contemplative stillness. He has also, over time, expanded the range of scale in his canvasses, taking on both larger and smaller compositions.
Some of the images above are larger pieces in oil, the bottom two (with details) are of smaller works done in acrylic; some, such as the cup and spoon, as small as 2 1/2 inches square (6.3 cm).
All of the images shown here are from Hayes new show, as part of the Paradise City Arts Festival, tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday, November 21 – 23, 2014, in Marlborough, Massachusetts.
In addition to his website, Hays maintains a blog on which he posts additional images, works in progress and other topics of interest.
