Ayris Hatton

I spent many hours drawing and writing in our West Los Angeles childhood home. Our yard, filled with orange trees, calla lilies, and birds in the grapevines, helped facilitate my love of nature. Art and writing became my solace amid a busy family life.

My parents owned a Hollywood hot spot where stars like Bette Davis and Gary Cooper sought anonymity and stiff drinks. My star-struck father put all six of his kids in the movies and shaped the three oldest into the Hatton Sisters Trio. They performed on TV, cut records, and as a lead-in for Nat King Cole. My memoir, The Olive Branch and the Fig Tree, is about our family life in and out of the movies.

Dreaming Wide Awake combines poetry, prose, and related artwork. I write about everyday challenges that can help us become aware of the miracle of life.

I hold a BA from U.C. Berkeley and two MAs in Fine Arts and Art Therapy. I've worked as a Registered Art Therapist in treatment facilities in the San Francisco Bay Area.