About the Artist

Artist Statement

I began painting in 2006 with watercolor. My reason for changing mediums was purely financial. The frames and glass had gotten so expensive, so in 2010, I started painting with acrylic.  I was too afraid of oil to try it. In 2014, my mentor and good friend, Rosemary Cantrell, introduced me to painting with oil. Once I learned colors and techniques, I knew I'd found my medium. I love the layers you can get with oil and the fact that it doesn't dry while you're working on it. I'm a slow and meticulous painter. With oil, I can revisit the painting the next day and make changes easily. I do paint with acrylic when I don't have time for the oil to dry and it's a good medium when a painting isn't too detailed or layered.  I can't paint in watercolor anymore. Once I got used to painting dark to light, my brain wouldn't let me save the white space. 

I visited Paris in 2012 and went straight to the Impressionist exhibits at the Louvre. That's when I started painting in a more impressionistic style. I love making an impression of something without painting every small detail. It leaves room for the viewer to fill in the blanks with their own story. I visited New York City in 2014 and fell in love with the Art Deco style buildings. I did research on it and have embraced everything Art Deco. My paintings have all taken on an Art Deco look. Could I be called an Art Deco Impressionist Painter? I am currently working on a new cityscape series from Paris and New York City. Stay tuned...

Biography

Visual art was never a part of my heritage, music was. I was a singer and pianist but never tried painting or any kind of visual art. It looked like it would be so hard. 

In 1997, my husband and I started fixing up houses to sell.  We became "fixer uppers" before it was cool. I was the designer , and he was the contractor. We were able to transform houses that were less than desirable into beautiful homes.  Back then, French country décor was popular, and walls and cabinets painted to appear old were great to compliment this look. Artists to do these faux painting techniques were expensive, so I bought books and tapes and learned how. I discovered I was good at it! Who knew? From 1997 to 2010, we moved 6 times and faux painted walls went out of style. So, I decided to put my art on canvas so it could go to the next home with me. That is why I started painting but I didn’t know the adventure that awaited me!

 In 2006, I took an art workshop. Once I put the brush in my hand, I was in love. My mother was ill at the time. At 82, she had gone from being a vibrant, energetic woman to the shell of her former self, and I was her caretaker. It was heartbreaking seeing her like that and terrifying to realize that could be my fate also. I quit going to the gym and instead took long walks to talk to God. He told me that whatever happened in my lifetime, He would be there with me to take care of me. I wasn’t sleeping much. I worked during the day,  napped at lunch to get through the rest of the day,and painted at night. During this difficult time, art was my saving grace. My paintings took on a religious theme. I wrote I Corinthians 13 (the love chapter) over and over again as backgrounds for the paintings. To this day, they are some of my favorites. 

In 2014, I was able to pursue art full time.  Being able to paint every day has made a world of difference in my artwork. It only makes sense. A professional artist, like a concert pianist, has to practice daily.  Since becoming a full time artist, I have been juried into many events and have been represented by a gallery in San Angelo and a gallery in Dallas.  I had my first solo show, Ode To Art Deco, in 2018 at Raw 1899 in San Angelo.   

My art has always been a collaboration between God and me. Even today, He has to talk me down off the ledge every time I look at a blank canvas. I’m always afraid I can’t translate what’s in my brain to the canvas or worse, that it just won’t be good. Sometimes it’s not good,  but sometimes it is. I'm always amazed when it is good. Where did that come from? That's the artistic adventure I'm on and that's what keeps me painting.   

Janet Lay

janetlayfineart.com