OLD MAP, NEW WORLD
There are those who follow maps, and those who make them. Hayley had the idea to create a heavenly charter as a key print for the Paradise Found collection. She enlisted the help of her father John Menzies, a watercolour painter, and the two spent a few glorious days in the sunlight of his garden room making art together.
ON THEIR DIFFERENCE IN PAINTING STYLE
John: Hayley‘s approach to drawing designing and painting has always been a quick, almost slapdash style, but at the end you can see and appreciate what she was aiming for. My style is much more deliberate and pedantic; a watercolour painting usually takes me a couple of months where as for Hayley a couple of hours is more her time frame!
Hayley: My dads style is classical and the HM style is naïve and free…. my dad's been painting for over 50 years in the same technique so found it challenging to adapt a more simple style.
ON PARADISE
John: A person’s idea of paradise changes throughout their life. Right now my idea of paradise would be humans somehow acknowledging that all creatures on this planet are entitled to a life without interference.
A MOMENT OF PARADISE TOGETHER
Hayley: Actually painting Paradise Found together was one of my fondest moments with dad.
ON MUSIC TASTE
John: I tend to listen primarily to singer songwriters when I’m painting: Joseph Arthur from Cleveland Ohio and an Irish chap called Hozier are my two current favourites. Hayley kept plugging away at the Lemon Pipers Green Tambourine. I think she had become a little bit obsessed with it but it worked for her to give her inspiration on her designs.
ON FATHER DAUGHTER DISAGREEMENTS
John: We tend to agree more than disagree these days which is a nice turnaround from 10 to 15 years ago. It’s nice that we can appreciate her work and she always appreciates ours, as my wife Maxine and I have never stopped being a creative pair.
Hayley: There was some bickering as his usual painting style is classical watercolour and i needed him to loosen up so i followed him around with a paintbrush "messing up” his work to make it feel more HM.
