Tim Hayward (b.1952) is an internationally acclaimed contemporary artist who has developed a highly individual and imaginative form of wildlife painting. His subtlety in rendering textures in watercolour and gouache, and accuracy of line and form demonstrate a lifetime’s study of and fascination with wildlife.

Tim lives and works in Devon, UK. Prior to joining Jonathan Cooper in 2000 he enjoyed a career as a respected wildlife illustrator, working for the Natural History Museum, London; the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds; Readers Digest; Hamlyn Publishers; and Zoo Books, San Diego ; amongst many others. His work is included in the Noorder Dierenpark collection, Netherlands; and in prominent private collections worldwide, including those of the Duke of Bedford, Lady Salisbury, the Duchess of Richmond, and the Burj Al Arab Hotel, Dubai.

THE PAINTING PROCESS

My paintings begin as an idea developed over time , using observation, bird skins, sketches, and photographs . Countless sketches and days spent researching result in a final design that satisfies my criteria of achieving an image that conveys the essence of the subject as well as an overall design that is purely seen as abstracted shapes within the frame. The choice of the background colour has to compliment the subject and also should stand alone as a beautiful rectangle of pure colour.

Once the drawing has been finalised it is transferred to stretched heavy grade watercolour paper and carefully reworked to make sure that all the mistakes have been eliminated before the actual painting begins. Great care has to be taken at this stage not to disturb the surface of the paper, which can have a disastrous impact on the quality of subsequent washes. The background can now be painted. This is a laborious and painstaking but enjoyable process that can take anything up to two weeks before the desired result is achieved - the moment when it simply ‘feels right’. If one looks closely at one of my paintings you realise that you are not looking at a flat colour but a subtle and vibrant surface, nuanced and glowing with many tones and tints . Anything up to thirty washes are applied , each one carefully worked and subtly textured before leaving to dry. 

Finally it is time to paint the bird. A necessarily long process. The first stage is to establish light and shade over the whole subject. Overall colours are next applied. Detail is then worked with watercolour and gouache, which is essentially an opaque watercolour that allows pale colours to be applied over dark ones. Using the best quality sable brushes, a depth of detail can be achieved which I personally find is not possible with pure watercolour, as this has to be applied by painting from light over dark, and I find it nearly impossible to capture the finesse i am looking for. With a feather painted in gouache one should feel that you could push a point through and part the individual filaments. Having said this, it is vital that attention to detail doesn’t stifle or distract from the overall image. I hope to maintain a freshness in the painting while the whole act becomes an instinctive and intuitive one.

The moment comes when it is time to stop. This is not an exact science ; I simply sense that I have done all I can, and to continue would be merely ‘fiddling’ . The painting is delivered to my framer, and we spend a lot of time discussing mouldings and finishes to suit that individual painting. We use high quality, non reflective conservation glass which is guaranteed resistant to damaging UV rays and prevents the painting fading. The final framed product is a work of art in itself which I feel proud to offer for sale.

2001 - Solo exhibition “Recent Works”, Jonathan Cooper

2001 - 2006 Exhibited at Olympia Fine Art Fair, London

2003- Solo exhibition “Glances at Nature”, Jonathan Cooper

2005 - 2018 Exhibited at BADA Antiques & Fine Art Fair, London

2005 - Solo exhibition “Pedestals”, Jonathan Cooper

2005 - Selected to illustrate the Wildlife Trust Stamp

2007 - Solo exhibition ” Pedestals 2”, Jonathan Cooper

2009 - Solo exhibition ”Pecking Order”, Jonathan Cooper

2010 - Selected to exhibit in the public art exhibition Elephant Parade, London 2010 . Exhibited at Haughton’s Art and Antiques, London

2012 - Exhibited at the LAPADA Art & Antiques Fair, London

2012 _ Solo exhibition “Birds of Prey” ,Jonathan Cooper

2013 - Exhibited in Jonathan Cooper Park Walk Gallery: 25 Years Exhibited at Lapada Art & Antiques Fair

2014 - Exhibited at Masterpiece and BADA Art and Antiques Fair, London

2015 - Exhibited at BADA Art & Antiques Fair, London Exhibited at Masterpiece London. Exhibited at New York Art, Antiques and Jewellery Show

2016 - Exhibited at New York Art, Antiques & Jewellery Show ; Palm Beach Jewellery Art and Antiques show.

2016 - Solo Exhibition “Glow”, Jonathan Cooper

2017 - Exhibited at the Palm Beach, Jewellery, Art & Antiques Show, USA; Exhibited at BADA Art & Antiques Fair, London

2018 - Exhibited at Masterpiece, London. Exhibited in Jonathan Cooper: ‘30 Years’’, Group show, London. Exhibited at Lapada Art & Antiques Fair

2018 - Solo exhibition, ‘Soar’, Jonathan Cooper, London

2019 - Exhibited at Masterpiece, London Exhibited at Lapada Art & Antiques Fair, London Exhibited at Art Toronto, Canada

2020 - Solo exhibition, ‘Beguile’ , Jonathan Cooper, London

2024 - Solo exhibition, ‘Still’ , Jonathan Cooper, London

“ Tim’s paintings of birds in flight and at rest combine technical brilliance with the emotional intensity of pure colour. Demonstrating a mastery of his craft and a deep understanding of the birds that he depicts, his work perfectly captures the play of light and shade over feathers, while silhouetting his subject on an abstracted colour background. “ ( Jonathan Cooper ) .

COPYRIGHT STATEMENT.

All images and content are subject to copyright and may not be reproduced in any form. The owner of these rights is Tim Hayward .  For Licensing of images please contact us. All images and content on this website are copyrighted by Tim Hayward and are for web browser viewing only. Other usages of the images and content must be negotiated, and may not be used for any purpose without express written consent. Unauthorised duplication or usage is prohibited by Copyright law and will be prosecuted.