Acrylic Painter Shares Talent With Students

SUBMITTED BY THE ART STATION-BIG SHANTY

Christy Hayes is a professional artist and instructor living in Marietta with her husband, two children and two dogs. She has a degree in education, a minor in art and has been teaching acrylic painting classes for nearly a decade.

When Hayes began taking adult art classes as a recreational activity, it reignited her passion to be creative. Enrolling in painting classes in spaces such as The Art Station helped her meet fellow artists, build her skills and connect with other local fine arts groups. A little more than five years ago, she began teaching at The Art Station, part of Cobb County Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department, and now has expanded to instructing at the Art House in Acworth.

Hayes started with one-time workshops in mixed-media collage and alcohol inks and built up her class catalog by adding longer-form acrylic painting sessions for true beginners and openstudio classes for advanced students.

Beginner classes start with a supply lesson, along with lessons in value study and color mixing to build a foundation that can be applied to any medium. Hayes specializes in portraits but has been commissioned to paint landscapes and important landmarks. She enjoys creating her own art, but working in a creative studio atmosphere with others has been what keeps her coming back to teaching.

In the past decade, her art has been displayed in several juried shows, as well as featured in a magazine and in five galleries across the Southeast. Her painting classes at The Art Station resume this month. For details and to register, visit artstationcobb.org or visit Hayes’ website at christyhayesfineart.com.