Janet Grissom approaches her canvases with the intent to share her captivation with nature both in brilliant detail and symbolic meaning. She enters into a dialogue between herself and her viewers through the language of color and movement. “I share what I feel inside about the view that I am painting,” she says. “I want the viewer to feel life in my painting with all of its excitement—this is how I share my affection for the happenings that I am exploring.”
Rural Vista (Farm), oil on canvas, 18 x 24"
She moves through her works placing quick and deliberate strokes of dominant color. In the next stage, she geometrically outlines areas of interest with a contrasting vibrant color or with a bluish black or intense deep green to enhance the sense of movement in her own unique language. Her marks are sometimes soft in nature, other times harsh, depending upon her interpretation of the experience and the angle of her view. She strives for her emotional response to the scene to be profound and alive for the viewer. For example, the still water in one painting is suddenly interrupted with crude ripples created by a breeze, the quickly applied harsh, dark colors suppressed by the soft marks of another beautiful, enlightening color.
Bouquet, oil on canvas, 30 x 30"
Grissom courageously shares her point of view of the sites she has experienced. These quick-driven marks are what puts energy into her paintings. It is a process akin to breathing for the artist. Without her cyclical, intimate contact with nature, these paintings could not be created. Quiet observation is her key to creating paintings that allow the viewer to follow her journey through life.
Twisted Color, oil on canvas, 40 x 40"
Grissom will be featured in an exhibition at the James Art Gallery in Columbus, Ohio, from October 17 through December 3. “I am looking forward to this exhibit at the James, as my paintings will be available to cancer patients and their families as well as the usual art viewers,” she says. “Maybe a painting will add a smile to their day.” —
Want to See More?
paintingsbygrissom@gmail.com
www.janetgrissompaintings.com
Instagram: @janet_grissom
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