"Thing 1 & Thing 2" Privately Collected in Austin, Texas!

Well, it is an amazing feeling to have “Thing 1 & Thing 2” so positively received! Thank you all for your wonderful and generous comments on these new abstract paintings. Shipped within the week of completion, these two paintings found a home in Austin, Texas.

“Thing 1” & “Thing 2”, each 40” x 63” Mixed Media on Canvas
Private Collection

“I am so pleased to have the opportunity to house these new pieces from Janell. Their beauty and vibrancy immediately hit me. These joint pieces will be the center of excitement in our home.”

— Zeke Dumke IV

Goofing Around In The Studio.
Obviously inspired by my inner hippy child…

The process of making art is not only a collaboration between the artist and the art, it can also be a collaborative effort between the collector and the art itself. One of the wonderful gifts of these abstract paintings is that they can be arranged in 16 different combinations allowing for collaborative freedom and reset within an interior room at any time. I love this! Every artist has a preferred way of displaying art but these fun pieces come with options and they all have appeal.

I am so grateful for this collaboration and the collection of these works into a wonderful home!
Thank you, Zeke!

Studio Shot In Front Of “Thing 1” & “Thing 2”
There’s nothing a good hat can’t add…

I Did A Thing, Actually 2 Things

Thing 1 & Thing 2 Complete!

These two abstract paintings began as one large, raw canvas on the floor. Using a large squeegee and paint rollers with long handles, I pushed around spilled paint on the canvas to create the initial layer. Returning to the studio floor over a period of days, waiting for paint to dry, I add new layers before taking the one large canvas to the framers to make the beginnings of what would become two stretched canvas paintings.

Once the canvases were stretched, I worked on them on the wall over the course of several weeks. Reacting, listening to the initial process I created on the floor. Using a three foot long paint brush, I emphasized some marks, obscured others, while adding to the layers of the painting with a variety of mixed media, from latex paint to acrylic, paint markers, and oil pastels. I finalized this diptych just days ago.

I promised I would share these abstract paintings once completed. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

ONE Modern Art in Salt Lake City, UT is open by appointment. Schedule your private viewing today!

Kindly,
Janell

Thing 1 (Left) & Thing 2 (Right), Mixed Media on Canvas, each 60” x 40”

Thing 1, Detail

Thing 1, Detail

Thing 1, Detail

Thing 2, Detail

Thing 2, Detail

Thing 2, Detail

300 Plates Art Access Fundraiser

I am excited to be a part of 300 plates again this year, helping Art Access raise funds to create art programs for people of all abilities. Individual tickets are now available. Each ticket is $25 giving you exclusive access to the plate sale beginning at 10 AM on Thursday, May 20 until Friday, May 21 at 10 AM when the sale will be open to the public. There is no limit on how many plates may be purchased. Visit link below to get your tickets.

Here are my two plates available for collecting during the fundraising event. The back reflective layer is an aluminum printing plate traditionally used during 300 plates’ fundraising event. These printing plates are back for the first time in several years. I chose to leave revealed the reflective nature of the alumni printing plate behind the three colorful painted layers of acrylic glass. I enjoy the way these 3D abstract paintings interact with the shinny plate becoming a part of the painting itself.

I hope you enjoy and happy art collecting for a good cause!

“Picasso Moon” , 11” x10” acrylic on multi-layered acrylic glass

“Afternoons & Coffee Spoons”, 11” x 10” acrylic on multi-layered acrylic glass

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

"What does your conscious say? - 'You should become who you are'." - Nietzsche

In a world full of possibilities, a creative will explore every one for it is the ultimate desire and gift to know oneself through the exploration. The art of being a creative includes constant exploration, pushing boundaries, exploring different approaches, styles and technique. All of these hours spent help me and my practice evolve into the unforeseen and potentially the best possible art over the course of a lifetime.

From creating small abstracts on multi-layered acrylic glass panels to larger works on canvas, my goal is always the same, follow my intuition. Allowing for a call and response with my brush and the painting, I let the art guide my every move. It speaks to me if I listen, and somedays I am better at listening then others.

Here are a couple videos of these two works in progress. So far, I am happy with the results. Perhaps next week I will be able to reveal the completed works.

I hope you enjoy!
JJ

In Progress