JANICE EVANS
What is your idea of happiness?
Happiness is laughter…being able to laugh at myself and with others. We all have times when we take the world and each other far too seriously. I’m for seeing newness, doing different things and finding meaning in my days. I don’t want to miss a thing in my life or spend time dwelling on what should have or could have happened.
What is your greatest fear?
…becoming old, and grumpy with life. I want to feel the joy forever!
Which living person do you most admire?
I would have to say my husband, John, to whom I’ve been married for 44 years this June. He has taught me so much over our time together. We started out as complete opposites in personality and now, like many couples, we kind of meet in the middle. John is a humorous, quiet and patient, detailed yet creative, a military ethos kind of man; Janice, not rule oriented or liking being put in a box, a wild and creative thinker, and yes, crazy at time and the best part…John is so supportive of my craziness and my art! Amazingly, we produced 2 sons whose personalities are a mix of each of us.
What is your greatest extravagance?
Clothes! My philosophy is simply to look the best you can at any age. This has run in my family for generations. Art supplies are a close second…paint the best you can at any age!
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Righteousness comes to mind in considering the wars that have been and are fought over ideals of righteousness. It is in this ‘virtue’ that we see mankind act in unspeakable ways toward one another, all for the rally around righteousness. The adherence to particular religious or cultural ideals at the expense of others clearly indicates the misuse of righteousness. Better not get me going on this one…
What is the quality you most enjoy in a friend?
Loyalty; to have a strong feeling of support or allegiance from a trustworthy friend is the most precious thing to help you cope with life.
If you could live anywhere on earth, where would that be?
As a military spouse for many years, I had the opportunity to travel and ‘try-on’ living in different locations in the world. I am a true patriot of Canada and wish everyone in our nation remembers and understands the privileges we have as citizens in our amazing country. There is nowhere else I’d choose to live. I was born in Montreal, Quebec and come from a line of early English settlers. As I get older, I feel drawn to the place of my birth especially with my 2 sons, daughter-in-law and new granddaughter living and working there now. However, I have lived on the west coast for 16 years and part of my heart belongs here now. The landscape which I love to paint ‘en plein air’ is so spectacular!
What is your thought on painting style and technique?
Recently, I had conversations with a number of artists discussing the need to choose and concentrate on an identifiable personal style. It is a difficult decision for some of us who want to constantly change our growth in new directions.
What I have learned is that it is very difficult to get juried into signature status without “consistency” in work. It is something artists seeking future signature status should be aware when you are submitting paintings to jury for each of the show call outs.
Consistency is also required by galleries wanting to be sure that they can sell your ‘style’ over and over. What does that make your art; possibly a commodity? Some artists have a dual life, the consistent market paintings and the personal ‘other’. I’m still holding out to the ‘other’.
At the moment I’m producing a number of series (rather ‘consistent in theme’) in water colour and water based media. The most recent, “Haiku Series” is like haiku poetry, very minimalist, few lines, abstractly/Zen, thought absorbed. The paintings are controlled in colour and generally deconstructed en plein air landscapes.
The technique I employ is: thinking for a long time on what I’m trying to express, looking, feeling, and absorbing my surroundings. Having my area prepared in a certain way all around me, with my paints, paper and water ready for when the moment strikes and ‘pow’, then the magic happens!
En Plein Air… no photos, no gimmick, just honesty of the moment captured in sun, rain, sleet, snow!
Where do you see yourself and your painting in the future?
I hope to see myself as a recognized artist on my own terms. More experimental art is in the future although more deconstruction of my work might bring me back to a white canvas! Ha!
Thanks everyone for your interest!
Comments welcome at janice.evans@shaw.ca or www.janiceevans.com
