As part of our summer-long mural exhibit, Artisans at the Arboretum, The Dawes Arboretum is proud to showcase the work of nine talented artists who have brought their creativity to our grounds. In this Meet the Artist series, we’re highlighting the people behind the paint—learning more about their inspiration, process, and what their murals mean to them. Today, we’re excited to introduce you to Bryan Haynes, whose mural "Bertie and Beman-The Dawes Arboretum" can be found on the Parkwoods Trail, near the Daweswood House Museum.
1. Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background as an artist?
Encouraged by very supportive parents, I became a professional illustrator after graduating from the Art Center College of Design in 1983. Those early years were spent as a freelance illustrator in Los Angeles working for clients such as Disney, Universal Studios, or Warner Bros. Returning to my native Missouri, and transitioning to fine art, I’ve been fortunate to recently celebrate my forty-second year as a professional artist.
2. How would you describe your artistic style or the themes you explore in your work?
My work has been described as “New Regionalism”, combining visual storytelling with figure and landscape, often in a historical context.
3. What inspired your mural for Artisans at The Arboretum?
The diaries of my g-great Grandmother Bertie Burr Dawes inspired the central theme of the mural, her joy of being in her garden and observing birds, blossoms and butterflies. Curves and shapes suggest different time frames: g-Grandfather Beman Gates Dawes conceiving the creation of tree dedications at Daweswood by famous Ohioans, gardeners and local farmers employed by the Arboretum, and grandchildren enjoying being “at Granny’s” amongst farm animals, peacock, and favorite dog of the Dawes family, Captain Polaris.
4. Did the location or landscape of The Dawes Arboretum influence your piece in any way?
Memories of being at The Arboretum, the beautiful grounds, gardens, and diaries of family members absolutely inspired and animated my imagination to create the mural painting.
5. Can you walk us through your creative process from concept to completion?
My process of creation always starts the same way, little idea doodles in my sketchbook, that increase in size and complexity until the composition begins to take shape. It occurred to me in the early stages to organize much of the square composition using an armature based on the Fibonacci sequence. That’s the famous series of numbers that describe a nautilus, or a spiral shape, and give us the elegant Golden Ratio, a very pleasing proportion. So this armature underlies my composition and surfaces here and there to organize and suggest visually, layers of time.
6. What was the most rewarding or challenging part of working on this project?
The most rewarding part of this project was what was the most challenging, organizing all my thoughts and emotions into something that would move the viewer and convey the feeling I have about this very special place for myself and my family.
7. What do you hope visitors take away from seeing your mural?
I hope folks will feel the reverence the Dawes family has for nature and the joy to be shared in experiencing this special place, The Arboretum.
8. Where can people see more of your work or connect with you online?
www.artbybryanhaynes.com
We’re grateful to Bryan Haynes for sharing his time and talent with our Arboretum community. Be sure to stop by Parkwoods Trail during your next visit to see his work up close—and experience how art, nature, and history come together in this one-of-a-kind exhibit. Artisans at the Arboretum runs through September 20.