Janet Mays - Artist

Anyone that has met Janet Mays in person at the local grocery store or at a high profile event will tell you that her laughter and positive aura will fill your heart with joy. Her life long career in social work and teaching has inspired many from all walks of life, yet her humble persona remains unchanged.

TBible Interview with Janet Mays

Janet, tell us a bit about you and your art ?

I first became interested in art in elementary school and studied drawing as a teenager. But once I got to University, there was no time to continue drawing, so it was put on hold until 1999. That summer, a friend suggested that I try watercolour; I did, and loved it. I took a course at the Ontario College of Art and Design, and was hooked. Having retired from my job at a Canadian university, I now have the time to paint, and spend most of my summer in my studio on Prince Edward Island, painting in three mediums; watercolour, which allows me to paint local scenes on site, acrylic which allows me the freedom of abstract expressionism, and lately I have taken to painting portraits in oil, something I love to do.

What drives Janet to Paint ?

I am driven to paint by two things; first is as an attempt to capture the beauty of things around me and second as a way to express emotion and ideas which are born internally and look for a way to express themselves in a specific medium. These abstract ideas usually find themselves translated into a semi-abstract expression, allowing the viewer to identify a common symbol to help as a guide into the painting. Some of the paintings on this website show examples of this semi-abstract approach. Some female figures, for example, may not have defined faces, yet the viewer recognizes the face and form. Too, a vase of flowers is easily read, yet it would be impossible to identify a specific floral type. I do this on purpose to engage viewers; I want them to look, think and identify with whatever it is in them that drew them to the painting in the first place.

What about technique ?

Each medium and each technique is special to me for a specific reason. How watercolour moves across the paper is always a challenge for me. Yet of all the mediums, watercolour is the most alive. The paint, when mixed with water and put on the page, almost has a life of its own. The challenge is finding the best way to work with the paint as it does what it will inherently do. Acrylic, though criticized by some for having too “plastic” a look and feel, allows the artist to move quickly while ideas are flowing because of how quickly it dries. Some of my best work is done with acrylic. Acrylic lends itself to use on paper, board or canvas. I recall the first time I painted with acrylic on canvas; I was thrilled with how beautifully the canvas interacted with my movements. Oil is still my preferred medium because of the depth and richness it gives. I like it especially for portraiture, as it allows me to build up beautiful tones.

What is on the horizon for you ?

On the immediate horizon, I am going to South America for three months from January through March 2007 to paint the scenes and capture the essence of the continent as it appears and feels to me. This is in preparation for a show that I am planning for late fall 2007. Keep posted on this website to hear more about this show and what was revealed to me as I toured and painted in South America. The challenge is finding the proper palette for the climate and using colours that reflect the place. This is so different than my Canadian palette that I am looking forward to working in warmer and hot colours. This will be a creative learning experience for me; I trust it will also be fruitful!

Thank you Janet.
TBible - 01-04-07