Where do you get your inspiration?
I am inspired by the impressionists and the expressionists. I appreciate their attempts to create an emotion, a spontaneity of style, freezing one moment in time. I like that their approach, materials, and methods were personal and not tied in any way to another artist's dictate. Another painter who has always inspired me is Georgia O'Keeffe. Her individuality as a woman and an artist has always stood out to me. I also admire the work of contemporary artists Bill Creevy for his textured and layered paintings and Susan Ogilvie for her amazing use of color.
What draws you to the medium you use?
I am drawn to oil pastel because the pigments are pure and brilliant. It's a very tactile medium that you hold and apply right onto your surface. I like that it is permanent but non-toxic. There is no dust or fumes and it can really be applied to almost any surface. I've been exploring the use of alkyds as a medium with oil pastel. It liquefies the pastel so I can use washes and glaze layers of color. It also sets the pigment so I can apply a color over another without changing the underlying layer.
I've explored using oil pastel on different surfaces for several years. I wanted change the traditional presentation of matted and framed pieces under glass and the barrier it creates between the art and the viewer . I discovered that Oil pastel can be sealed and the color will not be affected. Some of my early experiments involved painting on paper (Fabriano Murilla) and then gluing the piece to panel and sealing, but the gluing part can be quite nerve-racking because you only have one chance to get it right. So I began preparing my own hardboard panels with a mix of pumice, gesso and soft gel, tinting it after the surface is dry. My panels are cradled and I carry the image around the edges like gallery-wrapped canvas.Most recently, I've been painting larger work on canvas. I like how much lighter-weight canvas is than panel.
Where is your studio and what is it like?
My studio (number 20) is in the Foundry Art Centre in Saint Charles. There are twenty studios located on the second floor of the Foundry. The public is invited to visit and interact with the artists in our studios. I have a single studio which is almost 20 ft by 20 ft with lots of room and light. My windows face west. All the studios have glass half walls facing the walkway that runs around the open atrium overlooking the great hall.
Are you formally trained and if so where?
I have a Bachelor of Fine Art from Michigan State University. My major was printmaking. As a student, my favorite printmaking methods were stone lithography, metal plate intaglio and serigraphy. Printmaking was a rigorous discipline; our finals were a series of five prints (minimum), all hand pulled and they had to be identical. Each method (or class) required at least three editions, so if you were taking a litho, etching and serigraphy class you had nine editions to finish by the end of term. Talk about burning the midnight oil!
You can find out more about Janet on her web site at JanetFons.com or on the Gateway Gallery web site at gatewaygalleryonline.com.
Please come visit Janet and the Gateway Gallery artists at the Gateway Gallery this Friday November 20 from 6-9PM.
Many of the Gateway Artists will be presenting works in the theme of Paris and Other Delights and we will be enjoying some lovely hors d'oeuvres compliments of Mazara's.
