Jane Hayes Greenwood is a London-based artist working primarily in painting, alongside sculpture, video and installation. Drawing on landscape, botanical imagery and the natural world, her work explores the relationship between our inner lives and the environments we inhabit. Her recent series Weird Weather considers how atmospheric phenomena and shifting landscapes can express experiences of grief, love and wonder.
Selected through the Rise Art partnership, Hayes Greenwood spent two weeks at House of Hulda in September/ October 2026. Arriving in early autumn, she was struck by the intensity of the light, with the low sun casting long shadows and saturating the colours of the landscape throughout the day. The scenery felt almost theatrical in its perfection, at times difficult to reconcile with reality.
"Being in such a natural environment, where you are very aware of the position of the sun tracking across the sky, you become more aware of your position on the planet, which is an interesting and humbling experience."
She established her workspace at the top of the house, surrounded by windows overlooking the mountains and sea. With two young children and a busy life in London, the opportunity to follow her own schedule was especially meaningful. Having recently lost her mother and stepfather, the residency also came at a moment of personal transition, offering time to reconnect with her independence and immerse herself in what she calls "the paradise of the work."
She often worked from early morning until late at night, breaking up her days with long walks across the island. A chance meeting on a hike to Måtind led to an unexpected friendship with local residents Ingrid and Ole. Over waffles, conversations and visits to the sauna at Stave Camping, the connection became an important part of her experience. On one of their final evenings together, they swam in the Arctic sea beneath the Northern Lights.
For Hayes Greenwood, the residency offered both the uninterrupted time to work and the possibility of new connections. She left Andøya with a renewed sense of perspective, memories of its extraordinary autumn light, and the beginnings of a friendship she hopes will continue.
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