About Janet Hayes
Award-winning Australian artist and art educator
Janet Hayes is an award-winning Australian artist and art educator with 40 years of professional experience.
Based in Healesville, Victoria, Janet works across pastel, acrylic, watercolour and mixed media, creating landscapes, portraits, figurative works and still life.
Her practice is grounded in observational drawing and life drawing, with a particular interest in colour, light, movement and the natural world.
Alongside her own studio practice, Janet is an experienced art teacher, workshop presenter, demonstrator and art competition judge.
An Artistic Practice Built on Observation
Janet's approach to art has been shaped by a lifelong commitment to drawing and observation.
She studied art at the Melbourne College of Decoration in the late 1970s before continuing her studies in life drawing with Con Pappas at Era School, Donvale.
In the mid-1980s, Janet travelled to New York to study portraiture with internationally recognised artist Daniel Greene, further developing her understanding of portraiture, drawing, painting and the figure.
Her work continues to draw on these foundations, combining careful observation with an expressive approach to colour, line, tone and composition.
Exhibiting in Australia & Internationally
Janet has held thirteen solo exhibitions in Australia, including exhibitions at the former Libby Edwards Gallery in South Yarra and Adam Gallery in Melbourne CBD.
She has participated in numerous group exhibitions throughout Australia, including exhibitions in the Yarra Valley, Melbourne, Sydney and Darwin.
Her work has also been exhibited internationally, including exhibitions in New York and elsewhere in the United States, London, China, Canada and Europe.
Janet is currently exhibiting with Quadrant Gallery in Hawthorn, Victoria, and is open to opportunities for further gallery representation.
Awards & Recognition
Throughout her career, Janet has received recognition for her work in both pastel and figurative art.
As election of her awards and achievements include:
Allied Artists of America Award
Pastel Society of America Annual Exhibition, New York City — 1993
Best in Show
Pastel Society of Victoria — 2003, for The String Game
Inaugural John Dudley Portrait Prize
Awarded for Self Portrait with Hands — 2019
Semi-finalist — Doug Moran National Portrait Prize
Portrait — 2021
Best Pastel/Acrylic
Bayside Art Show, Brighton — 2017, for Lotus Lilies NT
Best in Show
Pastel Society of Victoria — 2025, for Contemplation
Published Artist & Author
Janet's artwork has been published nationally and internationally in art magazines and books, including International Artist, International Pastel Artist and Australian Artist.
Her work has also appeared in publications including Luminous Colour – Showcasing Australian Pastel Artists, the Best of Pastel series in the USA, and Best of Worldwide Artists Working in Charcoal, Pastel and Pencil.
In 2022, Janet self-published The Art of Creating with Pastel, drawing on 35 years of experience working with and teaching the pastel medium.
Sharing the Skills of Art
Teaching has been an important part of Janet's career for many years.
She currently teaches regular art classes and also offers workshops and demonstrations, sharing her experience in pastel, drawing, portraiture, life drawing and other artistic mediums.
Janet is also available for art exhibition and competition judging and has experience assessing and discussing a wide range of artistic approaches.
Her goal as a teacher is not simply to teach a particular way of making art, but to help students develop their own skills, observation and confidence.
Pastel & Art Organisations
Janet has a long history with pastel organisations in Australia and internationally.
She was a founding member and first Vice President of the Pastel Society of Victoria, Australia.
She is also a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America and an honorary member of both the Pastel Society of Victoria, Australia and the Société des Pastellistes de France.
Her involvement with pastel societies has provided opportunities to exhibit, teach, demonstrate and connect with artists both in Australia and internationally.
Janet's Art
After four decades as a professional artist, Janet continues to develop her studio practice while teaching and sharing her knowledge with others.
Her recent work includes landscapes inspired by the wilderness of Tasmania, as well as portraiture, figurative work, still life, plein air sketches and explorations of colour and light.
Whether working in pastel, acrylic, oil, watercolour or mixed media, Janet remains interested in the act of looking closely — observing the subtle changes in light, colour, form and atmosphere and translating those observations into artwork.