It's Been A HOT Minute!
Hello Friends! Let’s reconnect and share in our love of art and new creations.
Hello, dear friends! It’s been a few years since my last newsletter, and I can hardly believe how time flies! I’ve truly missed the opportunity to share all the stories about new creations, successes, and progress with you.
I’m thrilled to share some of the new creations that have emerged during this time! From landscape painting to abstraction, there is always a new challenge waiting for me to explore and conquer. It’s been a journey of growth, and I can’t wait for you to see what’s next!
Your support has always meant the world to me, and I’m eager to reconnect and hear about your journey as well! If you find yourself in Salt Lake City, please reach out to schedule a private time to see new works.
You are warmly invited to visit my personal Downington Gallery, as well as the ONE Modern Art Gallery that I share with the talented John Bell. It would be wonderful to share this experience with you!
Let’s catch up and celebrate the beauty of art together!
Warm regards,
Janell James
“Passing Glance”, 24” x 24” Mixed Media on Panel
“Dream About Flying”, 24” x 24” Mixed Media on Panel
“Dreamsickle”, 24” x 24” Mixed Media on Panel
“Kimono”, 44” x 40” Mixed Media on Canvas
“Flying Dog”, 20” x 16 Mixed Media on Panel
“Road To Was”, 24” x 24” Mixed Media on Panel
“Banking on a Myth”, 24” x 24” Mixed Media on Panel (Collected)
"Looking Up" - Things Definitely Are!
Wow! What a couple of great weeks. Summer Solstice is almost upon us and things are definitely looking up. The gratitude I feel for the many art collectors and art lovers supporting visual arts, and my personal artwork, is both empowering and humbling as an artist. Thank you for taking your time to peruse my newsletter each week and for showing an interest in my creations!
“Looking Up” found a home here in Salt Lake City, UT this past week with thanks to Forsey’s Fine Furniture and their team of local designers. This lovely grouping of Aspen trees can be found on a hike at the top of Millcreek Canyon. I always love my time in the mountains among these gentle giants. Hearing their leaves jingle like a type of foliage currency fills my soul bank as the wind moves these trees unanimously to and fro. Nature is a source of meditation and calming peace for my mind.
I hope in the coming days you can find yourself amongst the trees, taking some time to listen to what they have to say as they jingle and sway.
Cheers and Happy Summer Solstice!
Janell
“Looking Up”, 30” x 24” Oil on Canvas
Abstract Expressionism Reconsidered
Painting on multiple physical layers of 1/8” clear acrylic glass has opened a world of possibilities and approaches to me creatively. In this newly completed abstract painting, the first in what will be a limited edition series, I have taken a technique from mid-twentieth century artists like Janet Sobel and Jackson Pollock, creating something altogether new inspired from an era of abstract expressionism.
What makes this work ‘new’ is the addition and use of various sizes of acrylic glass layered on top of what once was a landscape painting in oil on canvas of aspen trees from Fish Lake National Forest, where Pando lives (another metaphor in my larger body of work for another day). A continuation of my layered landscape paintings in acrylic, this drip painting is a metaphor for how we are losing site of trees and their importance in sustaining life for all. Each layer of acrylic glass on top of the other covers up our visual perception of what once was a forest of trembling giants.
In this painting you will see my own personal style repurposed, beginning with a landscape painting from 10 years of painting oil on canvas, layering multiple layers of acrylic glass on top; a new approach I have been using for the past four years, incorporating drip painting and line tracing to help identify physical depth and space, reimagining a unique abstract composition. Several processes meld into one in this approach to abstract painting.
I hope you enjoy,
JJ
“Not Listening”, 48” x 48” Mixed Media on Canvas layered with Acrylic Glass
Beginning Stages of the Painting Process
Detail of Finished Painting
Detail of Finished Painting
Detail of Finished Painting
Detail of Finished Painting
97th Annual Spring Salon, Springville Museum of Art
It is always an honor to be included in the Spring Salon at the Springville Museum of Art, Springville, UT! Out of more than 1,000 juried entries, 250 are chosen each year to be on exhibit.
The history of the museum began in 1903, becoming Utah’s first visual art’s museum. It is a beautiful space for contemplating art. Stop in to see the Spring Salon, April 21 to July 3, 2021, showcasing the diversity and quality of Utah Contemporary Art. Take this opportunity to see “Tracing Clouds” up close and peer into her multi-layered paint strokes and get lost in your own imagination.
“Tracing Clouds”, 23.5” x 23.5” Acrylic on Multi-Pane Acrylic Glass
(27.5” x 27.5” Framed)
Available
SIG MT Most Distinguished Body of Work Award 2019 - Success and Thanks to the Out West Art Show and C.M. Russell Museum
SIG MT - Most Distinguished Body of Work Award 2019
Success and Thanks - Out West Art Show and C.M. Russell Museum
What a tremendous honor to be awarded for my hard work and creativity. This recognition means so much as I continue to push the boundaries of what art means to me. Thank you Signature Montana Magazine for recognizing innovation and fine art in these one of a kind multi-panel acrylic paintings! This was a wonderful surprise!
See These Paintings in Big Sky, MT
CREIGHTON BLOCK GALLERY
"Punctuating The Blue", 40" x 36" Acrylic on Multi-Panel Acrylic
"Kodama", 36.5" x 28.5" Acrylic on Multi-Panel Acrylic
"Taking It All In", 30" x 24" Acrylic on Multi-Panel Acrylic
“I combine traditional and modern art styles, merging old-world traditions with contemporary techniques for endless possibilities.”
– Janell James