Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Haley. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Haley, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
About a year ago, I had a solo show at Over Here Gallery in Portland, Maine, titled Nautical Twilight. The exhibition was shaped around the National Weather Service’s definition of the term: “Nautical twilight begins in the morning, or ends in the evening, when the geometric center of the sun is 12 degrees below the horizon. In general, the term refers to sailors being able to take reliable readings via well-known stars because the horizon is still visible, even under moonless conditions.”
I was drawn to the idea of gained light—or gained time. The project began with a conversation I had with my father while out on the water in a small skiff during nautical twilight. He told me it was his favorite time of day—a little slice of bonus time on either side of daylight. I found this concept compelling, both literally and metaphorically.
While I was creating the large silk paintings for the show, my father passed away from cancer. I couldn’t stop thinking about the moment we shared on the water during nautical twilight—how it felt like a fleeting, unexpected gift of time with someone I had looked up to my entire life and suddenly had to say goodbye to. That experience shifted the focus of the work toward themes of impermanence: extra time, not enough time, memory, and the deep emotional resonance held within natural phenomena and the landscape. I began looking through old photographs of my ancestors—some of whom I never knew—standing or drifting in that same section of landscape. It became a way of exploring connection through place and lineage, through shared blood and shared horizons.
The silk I use in my paintings is inherently transparent, and I often install the work back into the natural environments that first inspired it. This creates a ghost-like image on the horizon. I’m drawn to the non-linear nature of time—to the layering of memory in space. Nautical Twilight was an attempt to express that feeling, with transparent figures and landscapes that hover between past and present.
Haley, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Hi! I’m Haley, an interdisciplinary artist based in Portland, Maine, originally from Rhode Island. I grew up on Fishing Cove and the Narragansett Bay, where generations of my family have fished, clammed, and spent a majority of their time on boats. My connection to water and the New England landscape has greatly shaped my practice. I’ve always liked to make/build things and to stay busy, which stems directly from my parents who share these over-active tendencies. I don’t think I could be anything but an artist first, but I’ve always kept odd jobs bartending, working in construction, teaching, taking commissions, and being an artist assistant to maintain and afford my studio practice.
Over the years, my work has evolved to include dyed silk, natural dyeing, found and fabricated objects, installation, and site-specific outdoor paintings—but it has always remained rooted in the language of painting. I’m drawn to the discovery that happens when learning new processes; my goal is to marry my interest in the materiality and possibilities of painting and the evolving relationships humans have with the natural world. This has led me to install work outside of the studio or white cube. Lately, my practice has organically divided into two fundamental camps: silk paintings installed outside of the traditional gallery space and placed into nature to be manipulated by the landscape and elements, and my more traditional studio practice, reverting back to oil on canvas/panel.
I’m currently a full-time faculty member at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine and have previously taught at the University of New England and Southern Maine Community College. I studied painting and printmaking, earning my BFA before completing my MFA through the Alfred-Düsseldorf MFA in Painting Program. During my graduate studies, I lived and worked in Düsseldorf, Germany for half of the program. This really informed my paintings and the life I wanted as an artist. I’ve been fortunate to attend several artist residencies over the past decade. My first was a three-month residency in Taos, New Mexico, through the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation and I still reflect on that experience often. Residencies have provided me with the solitude, time, and space to step away from my other jobs and dive deep into ideas. In 2022, I spent two months in Paris, France, at an artist residency where I began exploring silk painting—a process I’ve focused on ever since. That experience sparked a desire to create collapsible paintings, which evolved into site-specific installations set within natural landscapes.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
For me, the best part of being an artist is working with my hands, asking questions every day, and being part of a creative community. To be an artist is, in many ways, to never be bored. I’m not sure my mind really shuts down. But, I love how my practice drives me to research, observe, and question the world around me. My curiosity often leads me down unexpected rabbit holes, sometimes into strange or obscure subjects, which ultimately inform my work.
As an educator, I encourage my students to do the same: to stay curious, to follow their questions, to take risks, and to learn from mistakes. I often teach college students who aren’t pursuing art as a career, but I believe that both making and viewing art expands our understanding of the world. It teaches us how to see. I’ve found that many young adults are afraid to ask questions or make mistakes, but I see art as a tool in problem-solving and critical thinking. Art is everywhere; it is life. And I think it’s important to remind not just artists, but everyone, of that.
Artist residencies have also been an incredibly rewarding part of my practice. They’ve given me the opportunity to explore new places, reflect deeply, and create without distraction. The gift of time and space is unmatched. Some of my most meaningful and focused work has emerged from those quiet, solitary moments in residency.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
My ultimate goal as an artist is to create work that I believe in and can stand behind—work that resonates with those who encounter it—and to remain a lifelong learner and maker. Maybe it stems from a fear of boredom, but I feel incredibly fortunate to be genuinely curious about so many topics and processes. I often find myself operating at a fast, multi-tasking pace, driven by the feeling that I’m running out of time to execute the projects I want to, learn new skills, or research new topics.
Another important goal of mine is to continue teaching, as it adds another dimension to my practice. Supporting young adults as they prepare to step into the world—whether or not they pursue a creative path—has been incredibly rewarding. I often learn just as much from my students, especially those whose interests lie outside my own field. Whether we’re discussing pop culture, sports, or something entirely unfamiliar to me, these exchanges keep me curious. Working between numerous different universities and colleges has been humbling, offering me the opportunity to connect with people from a wide range of backgrounds and life experiences.
In a lot of ways art feels really isolating or self-centered. I spend long hours alone in my studio, and admittedly, I genuinely enjoy that solitude. But I believe the true purpose of the work emerges through community—through dialogue with others and engagement with fellow artists and people. Those conversations give the work meaning beyond myself.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://haleynannig.com
- Instagram: @halezcomet
Image Credits
Personal Image: Taken by Clara Ellis
All other images are my images