Maridee Hays is an artist whose journey spans decades, marked by deep connections to the California art scene. Born and raised in Sacramento, she earned her MA under the guidance of Joseph Rafael at CSUS Sacramento during a time when the region was alive with creative energy. Her career has included both regional and international exhibitions, and she was honored with a solo show at the Crocker Art Museum in the early 1970s under the name Maridee Hays Abbey. Over the years, she has received recognition from respected artists such as Wayne Thiebaud, Carlos Villa, and Joan Moment. Her work has been featured in the Kingsley show twice, first judged in by Thiebaud and later by Villa. More recently, she exhibited in Napa at Acumen Gallery and was affiliated with Jen Tough Gallery in Santa Fe and EPPICHarts in Napa. For Hays, painting is a process of discovery—a constant search for understanding and connection.
Hays’ work is rooted in the interplay between thought and feeling, mind and heart. One piece, THOUGHT-FEEL, stands as a pivotal moment in her artistic practice. At 79 ½”H x 60”W, this oil painting on canvas, sized with rabbit skin glue, absorbs the paint in a way that enhances its core themes. The outline of her body appears within the work, accompanied by the words “thought” and “feel,” shifting in and out of perception. The result is a visual experience that mirrors the fleeting nature of understanding—one moment clear, the next elusive.
What does it mean to create? For Hays, it is both conscious and unconscious, serious and playful. Her process is fluid, instinctual. She doesn’t force it. Instead, she lets it emerge. This approach came into sharp focus while painting THOUGHT-FEEL, cracking open a new way of working that still drives her today. Once she picks up a brush, “IT” flows. There’s no overthinking, just a natural rhythm of making, pausing, searching for balance between what we know and what we feel. It’s an attempt to capture something essential about being human, a glimpse into what makes us whole.
This pursuit is not about answers but about reaching deeper into uncertainty. THOUGHT-FEEL was awarded by Wayne Thiebaud when he judged The Crocker Kingsley Show at the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, a validation of the significance of this work in her evolving practice. But for Hays, recognition is secondary to the act of creation itself. The act of painting is a means of discovery—an exploration of self and a way to invite the viewer into their own reflections.
She hopes those who see her work will experience something new, a shift in perspective, a moment of resonance. Each piece is an open door, a visual conversation between the seen and unseen. The essential remains just out of reach, but the process of searching is what makes it all worthwhile. Hays continues to paint, continuing this dialogue, embracing the mystery and the movement of creation. It’s not about finding certainty—it’s about being present in the search.
