When a Collector Returns
From a painting collected at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art in 2019 to two new works from my Blur series.
‘One More Day of Fetch With Blue’ (L) | ‘After The Bloom’ (R)
24” x 24” Spray Paint on Panel (2026)
There is something especially meaningful about a collector who has followed the evolution of my work since 2019 returning years later to add two new paintings to her collection.
Recently, two paintings from my Blur series, exhibited at Bodhi Gallery, found a new home with collector Cortney Kochevar. When I delivered the paintings, I was reunited with another piece of mine—Whispers Home—which Cortney collected at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art Gala in 2019.
Rather than tell the story myself, I thought I would let Cortney share what it has been like to live with my work, follow its evolution, and ultimately add two very different paintings to her collection.
“It was my absolute pleasure to meet Janell and be introduced to her art at the UMOCA Gala in 2019—I bid on and was thrilled to get one of her multi-layer acrylic pieces, entitled Whispers Home. I was taken by the depth of the piece, the vibrant colors that made up an abstract sunrise that contrasts so beautifully with a large tree and forested skyline.
Over the years, this piece has hung in my office and now in my home. It is a lovely conversation piece and I've watched as many a friend will take the piece in from afar and then get nose to nose with it as they appreciate the depth that the acrylic layers provide.
I've continued to follow Janell's work and have watched her art evolve as she explores different mediums and styles. As an amateur gardener and lover of abstract art, Janell's Blur painting series grabbed me—the explosions of color, the floral-like patterns, and natural chaos speak to my soul.
I'm so pleased to welcome two of Janell's Blur paintings into my collection. These pieces inspire creativity, imagination, and allow my garden to extend into my home.
Thank you, Janell, for continuing to add originality, beauty, color, and a little extra spice to my surroundings.”
With Love and Admiration,
Cortney Kochevar
Whispers Home, collected at the UMOCA Gala in 2019
From Whispers Home to the Blur Series
As an artist, one of the greatest gifts is knowing that a painting continues to reveal itself long after it leaves my studio.
I love hearing that friends still move closer to Whispers Home to discover its layers—and that years later, the color, floral-like patterns and natural chaos of my Blur series spoke to Cortney in an entirely different way.
My work has changed. The materials, process and visual language have evolved. But my fascination with color, nature, depth and the unexpected continues to connect these paintings across the years.
There is something incredibly special about knowing these three works—created during different chapters of my practice—now share a home.
Thank you, Cortney, for collecting my work, for continuing to follow where it leads, and for sharing so beautifully what it means to live with art.
Explore Available Work
To view available paintings and recent work, visit my website or contact me directly.
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