Nicole Hayden "Forget Me Not" 8x10 Painting

Nicole Hayden was born in Skokie Illinois in 1979, and brought up in Chicago, IL. She attended several art programs during her youth, including Marwen Foundation, Gallery 37, and The Art Institute of Chicago. These activities influenced the continuing of her education at the University of Kansas in Lawrence Kansas. While at KU, she received scholarships for her figurative painting. After attaining a BFA from KU, she extended her fine art education at The California College of Arts and Crafts in San Francisco California. In the two year graduate program at CCAC, Hayden experimented and explored figurative painting, and has shown work in various art venues in the bay area including Southern Exposure, Sanchez Art Center, Gensler, Nexus gallery, The Lab, 111 Minna, Hang Art and Adler &Co. After receiving a MFA from CCAC in 2003, she continues to live and work as an artist in San Francisco.

April 2020, the pandemic changed everything. Hayden began painting murals upon the plywood lined, post-apocalyptic streets. From these experiences, Nicole has become involved with public art and street art, which has instilled a new passion and sense of responsibility for her community.
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My enjoyment lies in playing with figure ground relationships. I create an open ended narrative by using a cinematic, black and white, scene interrupted by color and pattern. That pattern for this particular piece happens to be ginkgo leaves. These leaves are currently found everywhere underfoot around my neighborhood.