Artwork
(Gallery of Paintings Below)
Painting with light has been one of those exercises, along with piano and singing, that has ushered me into a soul journey affecting every area of my life. It is the explorer in me that thrives on the adventure of a self-taught style. In the Native American tradition, there is a phrase used, “unmentionable”, to encompass that which cannot be, should not be described in words. In fact, to bring words to it is to diminish its sacredness. The paintings embody for me that energy of Connection with the Great Spirit, felt in every cell of my being which cannot be communicated with words. All the colors also embody the Music’s ocean of the Universe that vibrates in and around us.
Two Art Series ~ “Original Medicine” and “From the Stuff of Stars…”
I first heard the term “original medicine” from noted author, teacher, anthropologist, Angeles Arrien, some 20 years ago. This is a concept that honors specific characteristics of a culture bringing value to the world…healing medicine. The same can be applied to an individual.
Some 15 years ago, the idea came for a series of paintings where each one portrayed a specific “original medicine” from a specific culture. The singing journey with the music of many cultures deepened the idea bringing it all to the surface. Eighteen of the paintings were done simultaneously over the past several months.
My research has included traveling in several countries, friendships with individuals from other cultures, reading, learning several languages, and always the music. Bear in mind, this is a personal journey. There are different gifts others might note, and other countries yet to acknowledge. However, it seems valuable, especially in these times, that we take a moment to focus on those gifts originating from the body/mind/spirit connection unique to specific cultures/countries.
The joy for me is that I can sing, paint and play for at least another 60 years without running out of countries/cultures!
“From the Stuff of Stars…”
Artistic replications of Hubble photographs was born from a passion to paint Light emanating from the Universe, without and within. Years ago, I began painting surround murals of galaxies from Hubble photographs on any wall I could find; from homes to churches, and now canvas.
It was quite by accident that I began to notice on one side of my art studio the colors and textures of the galaxy paintings…and how similar they were to those of the “original medicine” paintings. Having been an explorer of quantum physics for many years, I thought it would be ideal to show them side-by-side…the past/present/future, in living color, side-by-side. What a simple way to illustrate the inherent Connection between the stars and galaxies, and the closer-to-home reality, the different lands on this planet, and the gifts coming to us from individual countries/cultures.
This was a conscious weaving. As I worked on the music, I would have the pictures in front of me of specific galaxies…and the countries. As I painted, I would be thinking on the gifts of that culture/country, often listening to and singing the music from that region. After all, light/color are only music vibrations speeded up, and music is light vibrating at a slower speed.
This is a sampling of a larger collection.
CONTACT: janeandjack1@comcast.net
Concert/Art Show Bookings
Commissioned Artwork: Canvas and Murals; Oils/Acrylics/Venetian Plaster w/Murals (Frescoes)
Enjoy ~ Jane
Japan ~ Simplicity, Serenity, Quiet Beauty ‘Cio-Cio-san ~ Main character in Puccini’s opera, Madama Butterfly Golden Acrylics/Canvas; 2/08 |
Love & War by Moonlight Venus, goddess of love, and Mars, god of war, Approach each other by Moonlight on 5.14.02 in Dunkirk, Maryland. Golden Acrylics/Canvas; 2/08 |
Ireland ~ Fortitude The Four Courts in Dublin, Ireland Golden Acrylics/Canvas; 2/08 |
Sirius: Brightest Star in the Night Sirius is visible on the far left. It is over 20 times Brighter than our sun, and over twice as massive. Golden Acrylics/Canvas; 2/08 |
“Ocean of Creation” Painting inspired by photographic art “Genesis” by Jeffry W. Myers This captures for me the range of passion, fire, light, chaos that exists simultaneously when diving into the ocean of creativity. Golden Acrylics/Canvas; 2/08 |
“The Far Infrared Sky” Three sources contribute to the far infrared sky: Our solar system, our galaxy, and our universe. This image, released in 2000 in representative colors, is the highest resolution projection available of the entire far infrared sky. Notice the significant reflection of all the colors in ‘Ocean of Creation’. Golden Acrylics/Canvas; 2/08 |
Russia ~ Passion This painting is from photograph taken while visiting 1st grade classroom in Moscow. She captures the energy of passion I have always experienced with this culture … on their land, with their people, their music/art, and now part of our family. Oils/Canvas; 1990 |
Colorful Clouds of Carina Tumultuous clouds of the Carina Nebula, 8000 light years away, glow in planet Earth’s southern sky. Golden Acrylics/Canvas; 2/08 |
America ~ Land of visionaries; land of ideas, possibilities, optimism, pioneers, explorers and adventurers. Sunset on Jackson Lake and Grand Tetons, Wyoming. Golden Acrylics/Canvas; 2/08 |
The Red Spider Planetary Nebula Oh, what a tangled web a planetary nebular can weave. The Red Spider Planetary nebula shows the complex structure that can result when a normal star ejects its outer gases and becomes a white dwarf star. Golden Acrylics/Canvas; 2/08 |
Celtic Regions/Ireland ~ Keeper of the mystical realms; mysteries. Lush Banks of Croanshagh River, Ireland. Golden Acrylics/Canvas; 2/08 |
Anatares and Rho Ophiuchi These star clouds are even more colorful than humans can see, emitting light across the electro-magnetic spectrum. Golden Acrylics/Canvas; 2/08 |
Germany ~ Meticulous; Precision; Details Cologne Cathedral in Cologne, Germany Golden Acrylics/Canvas; 2/08 |
Greece ~ Connection of Power, Passion, Earth, Fire Mykonos Aglow with Fires of Evening; (inspired by Van Gogh’s style) Golden Acrylics/Canvas; 2/08 |
Inside the Eagle Nebula From afar, the whole area looks like an eagle. However, a closer look reveals the bright region is actually a window into the center of a larger dark shell of dust. Through this window, a brightly lit workshop appears where a whole open cluster of stars is being formed. Golden Acrylics/Canvas; 2/08 |
Africa~ “Soul Mother” Heartbeat of the Universe; Warrior connection to the Core between Earth/Fire/Water/Spirit Oils/Canvas; 1990 I consider the ‘original medicine’ from the African culture to be most critical in our American culture. Not only was the blood, sweat and tears of their slave labor woven into the backbone of this country, but their Spirit carried through their music, art, and dance is woven into the very DNA of the soul of America. This was inspired by a black/white photograph in the book I Dream A World by Brian Lanker. This photo published in Life Magazine some 20 years ago is of Eva Jessye, first choral director of Gershwin’s ‘Porgy & Bess’ in 1935. I was singing a great deal of soul music at the time ~ drumming, spirituals, gospel, jazz, and this photo embodied for me the connection I felt with all things African, and their healing medicine in my life. I tore it out of Life Magazine, taped it on the wall of my office, and thought, if I ever decided to paint, she would be my first. She perhaps touched me the deepest, anchoring me in my body in a new way. She inspired me to begin to play with Light on canvas…1990, becoming my first major painting in this self-taught adventure with art. |
France ~ Protector of Beauty; Sacred Place for Connection of Senses with Core of Body/Mind/Spirit Two landscape scenes in France; River Seine and Cherry Orchard in French countryside Oils/Canvas; 1990 |
Spain ~ Connection of Earth and Fire in Motion Wild Spanish Horses against the backdrop of Venus Golden Acrylics/Canvas; 2/08 |
Venus Unveiled In early 1990’s, the Venus-orbitting spacecraft, Magellan, was able to lift the veil from the face of Venus and produce spectacular high-resolution images of the planet’s surface. Golden Acrylics/Canvas; 2/08 |