Artist’s Portrait: Justin Hayward

by Holly Strother
Tuesday, February 12, 2008 2:49 PM MST

Teaching others is one way Casper College’s new drawing instructor, Justin Hayward, says he can keep his own drawing skills fresh.

“Helping the students with their art is practice for me,” Hayward said.

For example, things or techniques that may be lost over time for a non-teaching artist are reinforced by repetition with the students.

The young artist joins the CC staff this year, replacing former drawing instructor Richard Jacobi. Hayward is teaching four classes this semester.

Born and raised in Traverse City, Mich., Hayward said it was a place where teachers fostered his talent and love of art.

Budding artist

Hayward said he discovered art at a young age while in church.

“My parents would give me paper and a pencil or pen to keep me from fighting with my brother,” he said.

When he arrived at elementary school, the art teachers fostered his interests by giving him extra assignments or projects different than the rest of the class.

During high school, Hayward realized he may have some talent, so he decided to pursue drawing and painting.

“I’m not good at math, English, so…” Hayward laughed.

He won a regional college-level art competition while still in high school, and then attended Brigham Young University.

“I went to BYU because I love to paint and draw realistically,” Hayward said. “I fell in love with drawing the figure.”

His interest in drawing the figure was supported through the illustration department at BYU, where he earned a bachelor‘s degree in illustration.

He continued his graduate study in the Figurative Art Department of the New York Academy of Art, where he eventually earned a master’s degree in painting, as well as studying in private studios in the area.

Hayward then gave himself a graduation present by attending classes during the summer at the Florence Academy of Art in Italy.

The Italian school teaches in the Atelier method, which is not typically taught at the university level in the U.S.

Atelier is a four-year-long process that starts with teaching the basics of drawing realistic figures, landscapes and still life portraits with graphite, charcoal and paper. It slowly develops the artist’s skills and culminates with painting.

Hayward said the popularity of the Atelier method is driving the development of studios across the U.S.

Practice is something Hayward believes to be invaluable to the artist. He said spending as much as 40 hours in front of an original painting by one of the great masters and copying the nuances of the painting is time well spent.

“It’s a lot better to see it in person because you can see the layers of paint and the process of what the artist was doing,” Hayward said.

“In 40 hours, you learn more than you would have by just looking at a book or reading a book.”

Hayward’s master’s thesis painting, “Young Marriage,“ was one of the top seven finishers in the National Portrait Gallery competition for its grand reopening show. There were more than 4,000 entries with only 50 selected for the premiere.

A reproduction of Hayward’s painting was used on the gallery’s banner announcing the opening.

He said the show opened some professional doors for him by creating interest in his commission work and gallery considerations.

“Young Marriage” is a portrait of him and his wife of six years, Marci, when they lived in Jersey City while attending school in New York.

They are expecting their first child in December.

Hayward’s work can be seen on his Web site at www.justinhaywardart.com.

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