St. Louis is a city that loves its art and is graced with many talented artists. One of them is the unique painter Jennifer Hayes. She’s been an artist her entire life, but in the last 12 years her distinctive paintings have catapulted her to a whole new level professionally.
“I always say I’m color obsessed and that’s a pretty true statement. If I’m not working in really bright bold colors, I feel out of my element,” says Hayes. “I think that’s where my natural space is, that’s where I’m most comfortable,” she added.
Hayes was born in Kirkwood, growing up both there and in San Diego, California. She feels her passion for painting was influenced by both cities.
“I work in acrylic paint which has really nice bright colors and I love layering colors in unusual ways or contrasting them on top of each other, colors that don’t normally belong together,” says Hayes. “Most of my pieces are abstract paintings without a subject matter, and all about layers and color and texture,” she added.
Hayes got her first real break being noticed while painting at a live event for renowned Chef Hubert Keller, the first guest chef in history to be invited to cook in the White House.
“He was looking for artwork for his new restaurant SLeeK, inside Lumiere Casino, and chose to display my paintings on his restaurant walls,” says Hayes. “It was such a great honor,” she added.
Her paintings would later grace the walls of his restaurants Fleur de Lys and Burger Bar in San Francisco and Fleur by Hubert Keller in Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas.
“I do a lot of custom pieces and a lot of events where I get a chance to paint live.” Hayes added, “I really enjoy doing those pieces that progress in a spontaneous way and people get to enjoy watching my process.”
Hayes currently lives and works out of her home studio in Webster Groves. She has two children ages 17 and 23. Their father who was her high school sweetheart and then husband, passed away unexpectedly in 2007.
“Losing him was a huge very sad milestone for us, but we pulled through it and I was able to pick myself up by my bootstraps, and turn what I love to do into my career,” says Hayes.
Hayes says St. Louis has been good to her, and she’s thankful for all the people who have embraced her work.
“I have a lot of clients who commission me to do specific pieces for their spaces, and it’d be wonderful to do more for corporate spaces and interior designers and corporate spaces.”
Her work can currently be seen in different locations including Four Seasons Hotel, St. Louis’ private airport JetLinx, and at the Brentwood Metro Lighting. Hayes says she’s grateful for the amazing opportunities that have come her way, and hopes to one day have a gallery space here where her clients can visit to see her work.
“I think if you’re able to bring happiness to people’s lives, it feels like you made a difference with your time in the world.”
For more information on Hayes work go to www.JenniferHayesSTL.com.