"If I could paint with light itself, I would." says Hayek. "The next best thing is watercolor." Developed by layering washes of translucent color shapes, Hayek's light-drenched landscapes, still lifes and street scenes portray the quiet interplay of natural forms with architectural forms and weave nature's growth and beauty into the backdrop of the everyday world.
" My work is inspired by our human interconnection with nature and how we instinctively look to the natural for healing and inspiration. I find it particularly fascinating to discover nature and how we relate to it within the concrete-laden urban environment. Nature softens otherwise harsh city edges and it's beauty can be seen everywhere. We human beings are one with nature, and it is this unity revealed by light and its ever-changing moods that I celebrate in my paintings."
As for process, Hayek uses only the highest quality pigments and papers for her paintings. However, she will use anything at hand for textural effects, including sponges, crumpled paper, tennis shoes, rubber stamps and stencils.
Hayek's delightful paintings have been featured in numerous juried, solo and group exhibitions within the New York metro area. She works out of her studio in the Clinton Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn and exhibits her work along with other local artists in her space, the Parlor Gallery. Says Kathleen, "I want everyone to know that they can own a piece of original fine art. And that an inspiring work of art is an excellent investment in one's success and well-being."
Hayek earned a BFA in Painting, and a BS in Art Education from Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She continues to improve her craft by studying with nationally acclaimed watercolorists. Hayek brings a variety of art knowledge into her paintings, such as her experience as an art instructor, her years on the administrative staff at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY and her current roles as president of the Brooklyn Watercolor Society and Co-Coordinator of the South of the Navy Yard Artists (SONYA) Open Studio Stroll.

Kathleen Hayek's work can also be seen at these group sites:

• Brooklyn Watercolor Society
• SONYA