Art is magical, in that it has the ability to tell a story without uttering a single word. Art can evoke emotion and has been used for centuries as a stand-in for words, when they simply aren’t available.
Noblesville native Andrea Haydon has made a career out of this very process. She draws from an art-school background of technical skills and creative thinking, in combination with diverse real-world experiences. With each piece she tells a story, be it with watercolor drawings, charcoal, a mural painted in one of the many places you might have glimpsed around Indianapolis, or, most recently, a graphic celebrating the upcoming eclipse that she created for the residents here in Hamilton County.
If you’re lucky enough to live in Hamilton County, you will know just how important it is to the powers-that-be to cultivate the arts, and celebrate these once-in-a-lifetime happenings such as the solar eclipse on April 8. You will also know how important it was for Hamilton County to find one of their own for the job.
Haydon is one of the lucky few who knew at the young age of 6 that she wanted to be an artist. She would grab her palette and brush, and proclaim to the world that she was here to make it beautiful. After graduation she attended Herron School of Art + Design, and then went on to study experiential art and design in Hesse, Germany. This journey, spanning a few continents, led her right back to Indianapolis, where she became part of the design team that created the graphics for Super Bowl XLVI.
This recent commission for the solar eclipse was full-circle for Haydon, landing her right back in the county she grew up in. As she thought about how to make the piece special and unique, she knew she wanted to tell a story. “You can’t just make pretty things,” she says. “You have to back up your work with a story so that it resonates more with the audience. It makes them feel something.”
With the knowledge that the total eclipse will only be visible in a few select parts of the country, Hamilton County being one of them, she chose a map of the county as the backdrop to bring her audience into the local excitement of the eclipse, with the sun and moon in the foreground. “It’s a subtle yet important nod to Hamilton County,” she says.
She feels lucky and privileged to be hired, and doesn’t take it lightly that she was given the opportunity not only because of her reputation and skill, but also because of her Hamilton County roots.
Haydon’s charcoal designs are not only unique because they are storytelling masterpieces, but they are also one of a kind for the simple fact that she makes her own charcoal from the trees and sticks found in Garfield Park, where she lives with her cat, Karl.
You can find her work online and contact her at studiohaydon.com, and commission a piece of your very own.
