I will present some bullet points about my painting experience here. The blog attached to this website is an elaboration of much of this and more. I invite you to spend a few minutes there.
- I never begin with the end in mind, but when a painting works, the end presents itself.
- First of all: it’s not about the painting, the product, the thing that gets hung on the wall. For me, it is about painting. It’s an action, not a thing.
- My experience is different than that of a viewer, which is not to say that the viewer’s experience is any less important or valuable than my own.
- The process has been called intuitive or gestural by others; but I just call it painting.
- About the most conscious thing I do before I begin a piece is to select a color palette. I usually choose a limited selection of 5 to 6 colors because I find this pushes the creative process. By the end of the conversation, however, I’ve usually brought in more color.
- I think the hardest lesson I learned about painting is to not fall in love with a painting or with any part of a painting in the process of creation. That is the kiss of death to spontaneity and intuitive painting.
- The biggest thrill for me is when a viewer looks at one of my pieces and sees something fresh and new. I always know what I see, but other people see differently and can have that wonderful ah-ha experience.
When, Where and How
I grew up and went to art school in Atlanta, then moved to Southern California to pursue a Corporate career. I began actively showing my work in San Diego in 2012. Three years later, I relocated to Summerlin, outside Las Vegas and slowly broke into the desert art scene. I exhibited continuously at The Arts Factory in the heart of the Las Vegas Arts District for about 3 years. In 2019, my spouse was transferred to DFW (me too) and I am once again slowly breaking into a new scene.
Shows & Honors
Featured Artist – Artisan Collective, Adams Ave Arts District, San Diego – January 2012
Featured Artist – Pink Noodle Cafe – Hillcrest, San Diego – Dec. 2011 – March 2012
Featured Artist – Pita Jungle – Uptown District San Diego – April 2012 – August 2012
Featured Artist – The Curlew Compound Drive-By Gallery, San Diego – July 2014, December 2014, March 2015, July 2015
First Friday Exhibit – Bravo School of Art, San Diego – November 2015
Featured Artist – Ashton Gallery at Art on 30th, San Diego – May 2016
Participant – Las Vegas Artist Guild Gallery, Las Vegas – June 2016- April 2017
Featured Artist – The Corner Gallery at The Arts Factory, Las Vegas – November 2016, February 2017
Excellence Award – The Las Vegas Contemporary Art Show at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas – November 2016
Red Brush Award – The Las Vegas International Juried Art Competition 2016
Featured Artist – Jana’s RedRoom Gallery in the Arts Factory, LasVegas – April 2017
Jana’s RedRoom ‘Angel’ – May – October, 2017
Resident Artist – Mix It Up Ltd. November-December 2017
Resident Artist – AW Gallery, Las Vegas – February – October 2018