Prehistoric

Strikingly rendered in a monochrome palette, this piece captures the ancient, primordial essence of the cormorant. The artwork is meticulously constructed using custom-crafted papers, individually patterned and shredded to build a dense, tactile surface. Interlocking layers of dark tones and stark whites are enhanced with expressive sweeps of ink, paint, and pastels, evoking a raw, weathered atmosphere that highlights the bird’s distinctively prehistoric silhouette as it dries its wings.

An original mixed media collage on paper.  The artwork size is 825mm × 590mm.  It is supplied framed in black wood. The overall frame size is 873mm × 638mm. 

See more work available by Hayley Noakes

About Hayley Noakes

Hayley Noakes is a contemporary collage artist whose work explores wildlife, animal behaviour, and wild spaces through a quiet, folkloric lens. Animals form the central presence in her work, depicted not as anatomical studies but as intuitive, gently symbolic figures observed within open landscapes.

Hayley is drawn to stillness — moments of watching and waiting — creating a sense of wildness that feels attentive and calm. Her compositions are richly layered, echoing the way nature reveals itself through slow observation, allowing small details and subtle relationships to gradually emerge.

Working primarily with collage, she combines painted papers with materials such as pastel, pencil, and ink. The papers she uses are hand-painted, allowing each piece to develop slowly through layering and refinement. Weathered and time-worn materials, including ephemera, are often incorporated to introduce texture, age, and a sense of history.

Seasonal change is an important influence in her work, particularly the autumn and winter landscape. Rich autumnal colour, falling leaves, and the structural stillness of winter provide a framework in which animal presence and behaviour can come forward without distraction.

In addition to being represented by commercial galleries, Hayley’s original pieces are held in private collections; and her distinctive artwork is licensed nationally by Green Pebble Cards.

This layered mixed-media collage celebrates the triumphant return of the Red Kite following its near-extinction in the UK. Built from hand-painted and hand-printed papers, each element is meticulously snipped, torn, and assembled to capture the dynamic energy of this magnificent bird of prey. Through a rich combination of pastels, ink, and paint, the artwork builds tactile texture and a sense of powerful movement, mirroring the resilience of nature and a true conservation success story. 

The piece is an original mixed media collage on paper.  The artwork size 420 x 594mm approx. Supplied framed in black wood, The overall frame size is 468mm × 642mm. 

See more work available by Hayley Noakes

About Hayley Noakes

Hayley Noakes is a contemporary collage artist whose work explores wildlife, animal
behaviour, and wild spaces through a quiet, folkloric lens. Animals form the central
presence in her work, depicted not as anatomical studies but as intuitive, gently symbolic
figures observed within open landscapes.

Hayley is drawn to stillness — moments of watching and waiting — creating a sense of
wildness that feels attentive and calm. Her compositions are richly layered, echoing the way
nature reveals itself through slow observation, allowing small details and subtle relationships
to gradually emerge.
Working primarily with collage, she combines painted papers with materials such as pastel,
pencil, and ink. The papers she uses are hand-painted, allowing each piece to develop slowly
through layering and refinement. Weathered and timeworn materials, including ephemera,
are often incorporated to introduce texture, age, and a sense of history.
Seasonal change is an important influence in her work, particularly the autumn and winter
landscape. Rich autumnal colour, falling leaves, and the structural stillness of winter provide
a framework in which animal presence and behaviour can come forward without
distraction.
In addition to being represented by commercial galleries, Hayley’s original pieces are held in
private collections; and her distinctive artwork is licensed nationally by Green Pebble Cards.