Adam Haynes: Illustrator and Outdoor Adventurer Embracing the Bend Lifestyle
If you enjoy the outdoors, and we know that you do, chances are you’ve come across Adam Haynes's work. He’s paid the bills as a commercial illustrator for such clients as Nike 6.0, ESPN, Patagonia, Fuel TV, Timberland, Quiksilver, Adidas, and local beermaker Deschutes Brewery - just to name a few. Now a freelance illustrator in Bend, Oregon, he’s returned to his roots and works from home creating art for outdoor-based projects. Cairn has teamed up with Adam on a couple of cool projects, including a custom illustration for the interior of the Fall Obsidian box. We got to talk with Adam about his inspiration, his perfect day in Bend, and his gear.
How do you stay creatively inspired?
I have the most trouble getting inspired when I’ve been inside for days on end. Drawing itself is pretty much an indoor activity, so I have to balance it with outdoor activity. Often times what helps jumpstart my creativity is to go take a walk so I can clear my head and let my mind go. A lot of my best ideas have come from just stepping away from the drawing board and getting some fresh air. It’s a vital part of my process.
What does your perfect Bend day look like?
Well, the activities vary by the time of year. In the winter, it's snowboarding; summer is for fishing, surfing the river wave, and mountain biking; and fall is hiking and camping. Right now my perfect day in Bend means getting in a quick river surf in the morning; hanging out with my girls (wife and daughter); doing a little drawing mid-day; heading out on my mountain bike in the evening; and having a nice dinner outside, watching the sunset.
How important is the right gear to the success of an outdoor adventure?
Having the right gear on hand can make or break your time outside, especially if you find yourself in a tough or dangerous situation. I'm a bit of a gearhead, but I don't like to have a lot of things, just the right things. I like to keep my gear really dialed in when I'm outside.
Tell us about the projects you've done with Cairn.
Rob, the co-founder of Cairn, initially commissioned me to do a mural for the Cairn office space. When I got the spend time with the Cairn team, I knew immediately that doing a project with them was going to be really cool. Over the course of five months, I painted the mural and it was the largest painting I've ever completed. (See the time-lapse video of Adam painting our mural below).
Recently I got to team up with Cairn again to do some artwork for the interior of the Fall Obsidian Box. After they explained the "trailgating" inspiration for the collection, I came up with this sketch by drawing on a lot of imagery from a trip I took to the Wallowa Mountains.
Ok, we know you rock just about every outdoor activity in Bend, but what is your biggest outdoor activity fail?
I'm possibly the worst golfer in the world. I've been golfing once a year for 30 years, and I think I get worse every time I go.
Learn more about Adam Haynes: stickfort.com and @stickfort.
DISCOVER THE FULL FALL 2017 OBSIDIAN COLLECTION
Cairn teamed up with some of our local Bend partners, long-time subscribers, and inspirational outdoor Instagrammers to try out some of the gear in our Fall Obsidian Collection. Adam Haynes joined the Cairn Crew on a recent trip to Elk Lake and was pumped to get his hands on the Marmot Featherless Hoody as the temperatures dropped in the evening.
In addition to the Marmot Featherless Hoody that Adam tried out, a $200 value, the Fall 2107 Obsidian Collection includes more than $100 worth of innovative, premium gear to elevate your trailgating season. That’s over $300 worth of outdoor gear in one collection! Quantities of this collection are limited, so make it snappy if you’d like your own! View the full collection and subscribe today HERE.
Want to hear more about the full Fall Obsidian Collection and the gear we selected? Watch Jen and Conor from the Cairn Crew give the full rundown in our unboxing video HERE.