Allow me to introduce myself…

Hi I’m Jaime Haney. I’m an artist, a professional painter. I’m married to Daryl and together we have a teenage son, Asher. We share our life with Zoey (my studio dog), Mocee, JuJu and Loki (the three resident cats). Gardening is a big part of my life and I take on way more than I can keep up with. My gardens are the inspiration for a lot my paintings, and they renew my spirit as I tend them.

About my art…

My paintings are sometimes fairly realistic, but I’m not concerned with photographic reality. I’d rather paint how I feel about my subject at that moment and capture the mystery and magic of it while I’m painting it.

I create art that compels the viewer to think, feel and be moved through a series of related images and thoughts.

My paintings are often based on my dreams and imagination… colorful, mysterious and occasionally alarming. My goal is to allow reflection on our dreams, lives, and the experiences we all share.

Using vivid color and flowing strokes, I create paintings that are expressions of my emotions. Being inspired by all the green things growing around me, I tend to paint a lot of plants and flowers. I also like to make up abstract landscapes inspired by music, poetry and folklore. More than anything I strive to incorporate a mysterious vibe within my paintings. I love a bit of an otherworldly look and adore fairy tales on the darker side.

It all started back when…

My art background started when I was a child as I watched my father, who is also an artist, create fantastic underground pen and ink drawings and later paper sculptures. I’m sure that being exposed to such creativity and growing up in the 1970’s and 80’s have shaped the kind of artist I am today.

My love of making art continued from childhood into adulthood. I went onto the commercial side of art with graphic design. During the earlier years, I worked for different types of design jobs including print shops, newspapers, publication printers and service bureaus. I finally ended up at an advertising agency starting as a graphic designer and was promoted to art director. I actually got to work with my dad for about 8 years there. He was a great boss.

I left the ad agency after the birth of my son. When he was old enough to start finger painting, I picked up the paint brush for the first time since school. I started painting and haven’t stopped. I love being able to create my own world of mystery and intrigue. Being able to share my vision of our mysterious lives with others and have someone love my art enough to want to own it is still a rush that I can’t imagine ever losing… nor want to.

My gardens are a sacred space…

I get lost in my own world of thoughts while tending my plants. My gardens are my refuge and the act of caring for them is intensely meditative. I get many ideas for paintings as I sit and pull weeds. I make up stories for myself as I talk to the plants. Growing plants is deeply satisfying and crucial for my existence.

Lucky me, I enjoy gardening inside and out along with painting in my country side art studio. I have converted the outside space in front of my art studio into my personal sanctuary which I call “Studio Gardens”. It is truly a sacred space and I treat it as such with candles and incense as I enjoy it and the nature around me. I share many photos, thoughts and projects about my gardens on my blog.

Wanna know more?

Halloween is my all time favorite holiday and I create elaborate costumes along with bewitching face painting for myself each year.

Don’t laugh, but I belong to a paranormal group! Yep, I’m a ghost hunter. I’ve had many, many unexplainable experiences all my life and I’ve written about some of them on my blog. I keep a journal of my personal experiences and add to it on a fairly regular basis. Many of these experiences happen in my own home.

I’m an empath and am highly sensitive. It’s sometimes difficult to live with. It’s gotten much more intense as I’ve aged.

P.S. If you’re an artist yourself and looking for help in your artistic career, I’ve prepared a page with information I’ve learned along the way. It’s free for the taking. All I ask is you share the love and help another artist when you’re able.