ARTIST STATEMENT
Painting “en plein air” is about being in the moment, when you’re interacting with nature and the changing environment. I paint with all my senses to reveal the life, the personality, and spiritual energy of the landscape. Painting landscapes have become my favorite subject, because of its ever-changing beauty. I grew up on a 360-acre dairy farm in Saline, Michigan and I still remember the early morning fog stretching across the landscape, lifting as the sunlight unfolded over the fields and woods, enveloping the land. Farmland and waterways are sacred and reveal a freshness and solitude to me. I try to capture that serenity, mood, or energy during my plein-air sessions so other's can enjoy nature and her beauty through my work.
My goals are to teach students what I’ve learned, to experience the joy creativity brings to others, and continue to improve upon my own skills. I feel fortunate to have the gift of creativity, the vitality to express it, and the ability to share it with others. Art continually inspires, educates, and motivates all of us.
I teach pastel painting workshops and plein-air painting at various Art Centers around the state and offer a pastel workshop each year during the Summer Art Program at Interlochen College of Art. I’m the Secretary of the Great Lakes Pastel Society and a member of the Michigan Plein-Air Painters and Pastel Society of America.
Janet’s art exhibit will be shown at the Saginaw Charter Township Hall, 4980 Shattuck Road, Saginaw, Michigan, during business hours Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., October 2 through October 31, 2017.