An Interview with Fine Artist Deborah Hayhurst

An Interview with Fine Artist Deborah Hayhurst

by Gina McKnight

From Ohio, USA, Deborah Hayhurst brings new children’s literature Twillaby Pond to life! Hayhurst’s renditions of the Twillaby Pond characters – from the little wee pock to the water-blue pret - are endearing and kid approved! Hayhurst is a talented illustrator, creating fine art for all generations to enjoy.

Welcome, Deborah!

GM: Your art is beautiful. What mediums do you like to use?

DH: I love watercolors.  I’ve been working in this medium for almost 40 years and still learn something with each painting.  In Twillaby Pond I also used pen and ink to give the characters definition and an illustrative quality.

GM: Describe your studio and where you like to work...

DH: My studio .... Well I had my attic converted to an art studio and my third bedroom could be a studio, but I prefer to paint at my kitchen table.  The natural light is excellent and I like looking at my pond and back yard garden.

GM: Your illustrations for Twillaby Pond are beautiful. How did you come up with characters, concepts, and ideas for the illustrations?

DH: I was thrilled and nervous about creating the 13 imaginary characters in Twillaby Pond. I read and re-read the passages many times and the images just came to me from their names and personalities portrayed in the poem.

GM: Of all the characters in Twillaby Pond, who is your favorite?

DH: My favorite is the little wee pock.  I saw a very shy, naive and trusting friend.

GM: Do you feel the author, Patricia L.H. Black, allowed you to have creative license to create the characters the way you imagined?

DH: Yes, Patricia was so generous and gave me free reign to create what I envisioned in her prose.

GM: Do you have advice for novice artists?

DH: My advice to novice artists is too never judge your work too harshly.  If you create something and don’t like it, tear it up and start over.  It’s quit freeing and you’ve learned something for your next attempt.

GM: What plans do you have for future projects?

DH: In the future (being newly retired), I hope to write and illustrate several of my own stories.   

GM: Besides illustrating children's literature, what other artistic endeavors do you have?

DH: I also want to explore other avenues of art such as glass and metal, but I’ll always paint!

Twillaby Pond... Available from Amazon and Barnes&Noble