12th July 2024
Interview with Alicia Hayden
Alicia Hayden is a creative conservationist and wildlife artivist, working across multiple disciplines and media to tell creative stories about our natural world. We recently sat down with her to get to know how her career has evolved over the years and any tips & tricks that she has for new artists.
Originally from North Yorkshire, now based in Bristol, Alicia Hayden grew up surrounded by nature. With a degree in Biological Sciences from Oxford University, and a Master’s in Wildlife Filmmaking from the University of the West of England, Alicia loves to blend her interest in wildlife and scientific background with her love for the arts, creating bold pieces which challenge opinions about the natural world, and encourage others to engage with it in a different way.
In 2021, Alicia won David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation’s Wildlife Artist of the Year “Human Impact” category, and was awarded the inaugural Ingrid Beazley Award, for her wildlife artivism piece “When the Whale Sang”, which explored how noise pollution affects cetaceans. Since 2021, she has been a Finalist in Wildlife Artist of the Year three times – most recently with her piece “Charcoal”, examining the impact of wildfires.
Alicia sits on the British Trust for Ornithology’s Youth Advisory Panel, as well as working with a variety of organisations and charities as an artist, filmmaker, animator, editor, writer, and photographer. She works for the BBC Natural History Unit in children’s TV, as well as working freelance.
What inspired you to pick up a brush & pencil and start painting & drawing?
I’ve been creating art ever since I can remember – art is as natural as breathing to me. But, I think one of the biggest inspirations for creating things has always been to make an impact with my work. Changing little things for people, with the hope that art can be a catalyst for inspiring change. Every time something stirs inside me – caused by events, people, books, the environment, everything that’s going on now – that’s what inspires me to keep creating, in every form.
Specialising in wildlife art definitely grew from my childhood spent in and around North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales. I’ve been lucky enough to always be connected to wildlife, and art felt like a very natural way of exploring that connection.
When did your love of art start? Did you always want to be an artist?
I’ve always been drawn to the arts. Some of my earliest memories are of painting rainbows and colourful depictions of butterflies and dogs, proudly presented to my parents to be displayed on our kitchen wall in a makeshift art gallery. Having access to paper, pencils, and paints as a child allowed me to express myself – my imagination running wild. For me, art is such an intertwined, essential part of my existence, that I genuinely cannot imagine my life without it!
I’m not sure if anyone ever expects to be an artist – it’s still a surprise, and a novelty, to describe myself as a professional artist, and something I feel so excited to be able to do as part of my job!
What would be your advice for new artists just starting up?
Experiment, try anything, and say yes to as much as possible. Challenge yourself with new media; look at art – in galleries, social media, and across different disciplines – and see how this inspires you. And fundamentally – start. I think it’s easy to fixate on what can go wrong – the terrifying what if. “What if this doesn’t work, what if they don’t like it, what if it’s bad…”
But what if it’s good? If you create for yourself – create art that you love, you will build up your confidence, and you will find your audience – the people who connect with your work as much as you do.
What is the best tip you were told early in your career?
Reach out to people and ask questions. It seems obvious – but often people are more than happy to help you out if they can, and it’s really helpful to learn about how others have made their own journey into the arts.
How has social media helped your career?
Social media – particularly Instagram – has been an essential part of building a professional platform and portfolio for my work. I think it’s a great way to reach different people, to continuously engage those who are interested in your work. It’s also great to find a community of other artists – in my case, wildlife artists – allowing you to share opportunities, support one another, and help each other out! For me – social media has also been a way some people have found my work, enabling me to get commissions and projects to work on – so it’s definitely an essential part of my freelance work!
Where do you get your inspiration from?
As a wildlife artist, I primarily get inspiration from the natural world. Walking in nature, and listening to natural soundscapes, let my brain run riot with ideas. I think I find both nature itself inspirational, but also there is something about walking in nature which helps me think clearly and creatively – giving my brain space to come up with ideas, and think about things differently!
I also get inspiration from other artists – their styles and artworks; as well as books – my artivism pieces are particularly inspired by science, scientific papers, and non-fiction books.
An essential part of my artistic process is listening to music and sounds while creating, as they inform the colours, techniques, and artistic decisions I make. So music is also a huge inspiration for me!
What is your favourite Daler-Rowney product and why?
One of my favourite Daler-Rowney products is the FW acrylic ink range. I love how smooth, silky, and blendable they are. I work fast – and so the fact the inks are fast drying is great when it comes to layering, and building up pieces.
What is a technique that you haven't tried yet that you would love to try & why?
I really want to properly nail screen printing! I’ve got a kit and I’ve tried it a couple of times, but it’s still something I need to understand properly. I think screen printing gives you potential with mark making and layering colours, in a way which is different to other media.
Explore Alicia's work further here.
