Hi, my name is Janine. I am a Melbourne based acrylic artist and have been painting for many years. Recently I joined Bluethumb and immediately, I found the professionalism of the site and information it provided made me feel supported and more confident about my work as an artist. I still felt a little daunted with the task of writing about myself and my work. I am not a wordsmith, I am an artist and a mark maker. Knowing that I had to put pen to paper made me realise I had nothing to lose and everything to gain from sharing my work with a wider audience. I want to share my love and passion for art with those around me. I’m proud of my work as an artist and hope that others enjoy my paintings too. I studied painting, life drawing, printmaking, ceramics, photography and design for a number of years. Eventually, I decided to study Finished Art at Prahran Tafe, qualifying as a Commercial Artist in the early 80’s. From there, I stepped directly into the wonderful world of advertising and enjoyed that for a number of years.
My love for paint developed in the 90’s when I accepted my first commission to create a number of works inspired by Monet. I grew quite an extensive portfolio over time and used that to gain the position of Painting Tutor at a not for profit organisation in 2000. I enjoyed sharing my artistic knowledge and helping students develop their skills, until 2013 when I chose to pursue other interests. Home renovations, teaching myself how to make sculptures by experimenting with hebel blocks and South Australian limestone, wood carving, casting and hand shaping resin into jewellery became a passion and kept me busy.
Photography has always been the inspiration for my paintings. I see beauty in the splintered timber of a fallen tree. I love the crimsons and gold colours that form on rusty nails and fixtures on old fence posts. I seek out the peeling layers of paint and fish scales on old boats tied up to piers. I have always loved creating colourful graphic paintings from seemingly mundane subjects. Recently I started painting again and have really enjoyed experimenting with painting directly onto a prepared board instead of on stretched canvas. I love the freedom of line and experimenting with mark making and vivid colours. It is a new artistic road I am taking and I intend to enjoy every moment of it.