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EXPRESSIONS FROM NATURE Janet W. Winston November 2-December 2, 2023 Opening Reception: Thursday, November 2, 5-7:00 pm Art Forum Online: November 16, 7:30 pm (Click for video) |
EXPRESSIONS FROM NATURE—Past and Present
Janet W. Winston
Nature in up-close detail and in far-distant vistas inspires Janet W. Winston’s interpretations of landscapes of the Middle East, the American South West, and her local New England surroundings. The play of light, shadow, and space along with Winston’s characteristic use of harmonious colors, shapes, and gestural strokes unite all the paintings as they lean towards abstraction that expresses the artist’s emotions.
Having visited the Middle East many times, starting at age 19, Winston began painting the region’s flat valleys and distant mountain ranges. “The climate, the scorching sunlight, the contrasting dark shadows, and the bleached colors of the area were dramatically different from New England landscapes, and I was drawn to explore this palette and topography,” she explains. Concern over the land struggles between Israel and the Palestinian people were also inherent in her inspiration and impressions. The paintings started with representation of distinct areas but eventually evolved into abstractions of the landscape.
Vistas of the American South West have been another inspiration for Winston over the years. “At a young age, I visited the South West with my family and I was completely enchanted with Santa Fe, New Mexico, the Spanish-style stucco homes, the mountains and the sunsets,” she says. The intense sunlight and deep shadow in this landscape, she notes, are similar to the intense light and the dry mountain ranges of Israel, and contrast to the far more vivid color and lush foliage of the nature she views in New England. “I try to capture the spirit of each of these vistas through my signature use of color,” Winston explains.
Art Forum Online
In an Art Forum Online on Thursday, Winston will discuss her work, looking at different series she has explored over the years. Click here to register for this online event, which is free and open to the public. This Art in Community outreach program is supported in part by grants from the Amherst Cultural Council, Pelham Cultural Council, and Springfield Cultural Council, all local agencies, which are supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
Janet W. Winston
Nature in up-close detail and in far-distant vistas inspires Janet W. Winston’s interpretations of landscapes of the Middle East, the American South West, and her local New England surroundings. The play of light, shadow, and space along with Winston’s characteristic use of harmonious colors, shapes, and gestural strokes unite all the paintings as they lean towards abstraction that expresses the artist’s emotions.
Having visited the Middle East many times, starting at age 19, Winston began painting the region’s flat valleys and distant mountain ranges. “The climate, the scorching sunlight, the contrasting dark shadows, and the bleached colors of the area were dramatically different from New England landscapes, and I was drawn to explore this palette and topography,” she explains. Concern over the land struggles between Israel and the Palestinian people were also inherent in her inspiration and impressions. The paintings started with representation of distinct areas but eventually evolved into abstractions of the landscape.
Vistas of the American South West have been another inspiration for Winston over the years. “At a young age, I visited the South West with my family and I was completely enchanted with Santa Fe, New Mexico, the Spanish-style stucco homes, the mountains and the sunsets,” she says. The intense sunlight and deep shadow in this landscape, she notes, are similar to the intense light and the dry mountain ranges of Israel, and contrast to the far more vivid color and lush foliage of the nature she views in New England. “I try to capture the spirit of each of these vistas through my signature use of color,” Winston explains.
Art Forum Online
In an Art Forum Online on Thursday, Winston will discuss her work, looking at different series she has explored over the years. Click here to register for this online event, which is free and open to the public. This Art in Community outreach program is supported in part by grants from the Amherst Cultural Council, Pelham Cultural Council, and Springfield Cultural Council, all local agencies, which are supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
