I am Jacqueline Caley-Hawker, but you can call me Jacqui!                     

A Cardiff based artist, an intuitive abstract painter and mixed medium artist, exploring botanical forms, colour and pattern. I use botanicals with my art to explore the fusion between the calmness of natures plants and flowers with our often chaotic and stressful urban environment.

I am a lover of nature, it’s my happy place! I enjoy capturing the diversity of nature’s colour, textures and compositions around me at any given opportunity. Taking photos or picking a few cheeky stems as I walk! I enjoy local nature walks in my surroundings, walking throughout the seasons, holiday exploring or even walking around Cardiff. I always like to notice the nature thriving in unexpected places too!

Abstract painting allows me to explore an unexpected and often unpredictable creative adventure! Layering a fusion of mixed media, acrylic, inks, collage, pattern, mark making and subtle texture, often with iridescent and metallic mediums adding an element that interacts with the light. I aim to draw the viewer to look closer and connect to what they find within the layers. Light plays an important role in the background as well as in detail, with how the painting is viewed and how the painting reacts in natural or artificial light.

Appreciation of nature has always helped me maintain mind, body & soul balance, a sense of calm in an ever changing and chaotic world. Listening to calming music plays a vital role in the connection to my creative and meditative process. Whilst exploring the needed layering to create a tangible tension between chaos and calm. My choice of colour palette, written word and composition intuitively develops, creating a spiritually soothing, calming or uplifting experience, appreciation and connection to natures plants and flowers.  

My Art Foundation in 1994 introduced me to all forms of art, I loved it all! In 1995 I ventured to Brighton where I obtained a Degree in 3Dimension Design For Production. Upon completion, I was offered a 3 month placement at Habitat Design Studios in London, all part of a BBC2 Graduate Documentary called ‘Making It’. Developing product ideas for future collections including flower vases and a multi stacking plant pot system. During this time, I was also working as a Visual Research Lecturer at Eastbourne BTEC collage which was a great post graduate opportunity!

After 5 yrs in Brighton, the need to travel took a hold. I stepped into a new life at sea working as a hairstylist on the cruise ships in 2000. With weekly travel to the Caribbean islands, my time off led me to visit botanical gardens which was a necessary sanctuary. I would surround myself in the tropical treats and botanical splendour whilst living in a mass of metal floating on the sea! After 2 cruising contracts, too many passengers and feeling tired, I took solace working in a florists, conditioning the flowers and foliage ready for use. This was heaven for me, a botanical bliss, surrounded daily by natures splendour and needed colour therapy!

My main vocation over the last 36years has been as a hairstylist. Where I have co owned successful Hair Salons in Cardiff called Yume since 2006. My art creativity naturally took a back seat whilst developing the salons. In 2018, the opportunity arose for me to  finally take the plunge to become a self-employed hairstylist, in order to free up time to develop myself creatively again.

One of the gifts for me in Lockdown was the time to try new things, one of which was abstract painting. I explored online courses and help from The 100 Day Project, artists like Louise Fletcher, Nicholas Wilton and Judy Woods. All of which enlightened me to the concept and theory of abstract art, helping me explore the world of paint and mixed media in a new way. Thankfully, this exploration and learning  reignited my passion and starting my journey to create Alcemi Art!