When Hattie moved to Byron Bay in 2020, becoming an artist wasn't on the agenda. With degrees in law and journalism, her path had always been more practical.
But like many, that year gave her unexpected time and space to slow down and reflect. This is when she turned to something she loved as a child, discovering painting again.
In the serene surrounds of the Byron Bay Hinterland, Hattie has carved a space for creativity and calm. Her journey to becoming an artist is different from the rest, as a self taught talent who only began painting after the birth of her son.
“I think I just needed something creative,” she says. “It started as a bit of a pastime.”
In 2022, during the quiet moments of early motherhood, she picked up a paintbrush with a different intent, this time painting her first portrait, which was the beginning of something much bigger than a hobby.
A Byron Bay Muse
Byron Bay has played a huge part in Hattie’s evolution as an artist. The move wasn’t just a change of scenery, it was a lifestyle shift that opened her up to a new inspiration. “I don’t think I would be the artist I am today or any kind of artist if we hadn’t moved to Byron Bay,” she admits. “There is something really, really magical about this region.”
She even transformed an old horse stable on their property into a studio, a space originally meant for other creatives but is now her own. “It’s funny how things work out,” she says. “I built the studio thinking other people would use it. I never imagined I would be the one painting there.”
When she isn’t painting, Hattie enjoys time spent in the garden. “I am definitely not the best gardener,” she laughs, “but I love it. We’ve got a lot of space here on the farm. I love growing our own vegetables.” Growing her own food is something she finds deeply rewarding. “It’s probably one of the greatest joys in life to be able to do that.”
The Cowboy Hat
Hattie’s style is honest and intuitive. She paints what she’d want on her own walls, not what she thinks will sell or please others. That mindset is a part of why she doesn’t take commissions. “I get scared I’ll be pushed into a creative corner,”she says. “I just want to create what feels right.”
One of her most memorable pieces is the first portrait she painted featuring a cowboy hat, a nod to her country upbringing. “I remember when I stepped back from that painting being so excited about how it looked and how much it had meant to me growing up in the country.” She reflects. “That painting felt like me, since then, I’ve included a cowboy hat in every piece.”
Her work is personal yet relatable, often rooted in soft colour palettes, warm textures and a timeless style. “If someone brings my art into their home and it makes them feel some sort of warmth, joy or comfort, that’s the best outcome.” She says.
The Creative Process
In her creative process, Hattie merges imagination with visual reference, guided by sharp, refined inspiration. “It’s mostly a bit of both,” she explains, referring to the balance between memory and reference. “I find it really difficult to paint a face without a reference, there are really tiny details, like lighting, that make the painting and I couldn’t possibly have that in my head.”
For Hattie, Pinterest is an essential tool. She collects images of models, photography, outfits she loves and certain colour palettes she finds that work and blends them all together. Her process is like patchwork, merging model’s expressions, composition and a unique mood or aesthetic into something that is distinctly her own.
While some finished faces clearly reflect the reference used, others evolve into new characters. “Sometimes I have painted faces that definitely look like the models, but then other times they have been the source of inspiration but look very different.”
Finding Calm Amidst the Chaos
When asked how she finds inspiration and keeps calm amidst the chaos, Hattie admits, “The hardest part is finding the inspiration and the concept.” While focusing on incorporating her country aesthetic into more of a fashionable scheme, she draws her inspiration from houses she admires, fashion and photography. “Inspiration is work, but I love it.” She admits.
“Keeping calm amidst the chaos is the painting for me,” she says. With a busy life that includes raising an almost three year old son, managing 66 acres of land and staying closely connected to her siblings, there is always something to do. However, “stepping into the studio, you have to let that go,” she says. “Sometimes that’s really hard and not possible, but also, when it is, it is such a beautiful reset.”
What makes Hattie’s art so special, is that it comes from a place of intention with a genuine love for the process and a desire to create something awe-inspiring and meaningful.
“I never planned to be an artist,” she says. “But now I can’t imagine not painting. It has become such a big part of who I am.”
Life Outside Art
For Hattie, travel has been a big part of her life. While she has been lucky to visit a lot of places, it’s Scotland and Tasmania that really stand out for her, both having the quiet calm that she enjoys. “I’ve been really, really lucky, my partner works overseas a lot so for the past decade we have done a lot of traveling around the world, before and after kids,” she reflects.
These days she finds just as much satisfaction at home, in the garden, growing food for her family. “We are coming into a new season at the moment” she says, “so the gardens are a little bare.” With this change of season Hattie admits the family are excited for the garden to flourish. “We do sweet potato, pumpkin, zucchini, beans, lettuce, tomatoes, artichokes, it goes on and on,” she says. “That’s our dream.”
About Hattie Zampa-
Based in Bangalow, NSW, Hattie Zampa comes from a small community just an hour south of Darwin. Raised in the Australian countryside as one of seven siblings, she embraces the beauty of chaos. Today she calls the Northern Rivers home, painting from her charming studio, ‘The Stable Studio’, nestled in the Byron hinterland.
Hattie approaches her work with humility and honesty. She doesn’t aim for perfection, instead, she finds joy in the imperfections that give her art its unique voice. Her pieces are often rough and layered, with traces of past ideas peeking through fresh strokes. This visible evolution on the canvas is something she celebrates, finding beauty in texture and the story that builds beneath each layer.
Now a mother and dedicated artist, Hattie believes deeply that art plays a vital role in shaping a home. Having traveled extensively and fallen in love with many beautiful spaces around the world, she feels that art is what transforms a house into a soulful, lived-in place.
For Hattie, creating art is more than a passion, it is a calling. After years of questioning her path, she has found purpose and fulfilment in bringing spaces to life through her paintings.
