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Art is long… Life is short… and tomorrow is just a horizon.
In my art, and in my life, a lot of energy was applied toward negative spaces before a positive image materialized. I like the whole picture that’s finally emerging, beyond my old horizon line. There was a time when I wasn’t painting well at all. I allowed poverty and circumstance to become hurdles (but never roadblocks). Those were the days that I spent developing my contrasting negatives. Days when resources were stretched and a house full of children were hungry taught me to think creatively and look for new solutions; a few long dark stretches gave sharper meaning to brief glimpses of light; and in the wake of personal tragedies, diminishing control taught me to receive an experience rather than project one. It’s all there in the progression of my art. My early work is tightly structured, controlled, and limited by rules. Recent work is loose and fun. It pushes the limits of convention. I’ve learned to receive images that I could never have projected.
I still begin each piece with careful observation and thorough planning, but then go to work with a flexible attitude that allows me to make adjustments when certain pigments don’t want to sit together, or particular shapes just don’t get along. Sometimes flat surfaces want texture, and I oblige them. The interactions fascinate me. I almost lose myself in the process. All that matters is the surface and the medium. I’m just an interpreter. The process is a mix of careful planning with unpredictable results.
My work has been described as “realism with unrealistic departures.” It’s a definition that fits. The facets of my life have added layers to my art. My early experience with accurate realism has been expanded by a new receptiveness to unconventional elements. The results are sometimes odd, frequently fun, and always authentic.
I genuinely hope that my work helps you see beyond your own horizons.
Jane
