Janis is an artist living and working in Melbourne, Australia. She lives a very colourful life and has enjoyed the arts for as long as she remembers. Over the last two years Janis has shifted her creative focus to strengthen her own arts practice.
Janis began her career in design and patternmaking for over two decades inspiring her love for textiles and design. Throughout her life Janis has explored her creativity through many different mediums, with a focus on the decorative arts. After relocating to the Middle East for some time, she navigated a journey of grief and loss. While developing educational art projects at a school in Dubai, Janis discovered how art could be used as a powerful tool for bridging community and wellbeing.
This opened the next chapter for Janis, finding her roots in learning, going back to the University of Melbourne to complete her Masters in Community Cultural Development. Janis was able to formalise her connection of culture and the value of the arts within diverse communities. Focusing on the many social issues within society, giving light to loneliness, mental health and connection.
Following her successful exhibition “A View from Above” in January 2024. Janis was privileged to spend a month at an artists residency at Chateau D’Orquevaux in France. This exclusive program includes artists and writers worldwide with Janis being one of a select few accepted out of applications from over 120 countries. This experience allowed Janis to explore and define her techniques in decorative landscapes.
Janis’s artwork captures the expansive space and magical beauty of the Australian landscape and our sense of connection to coastal places, not always a realistic depiction but one of wonder and beauty.
A semi-abstract technique with clusters of decorative elements, including pattern and texture, and inspired by the art movements known as Pointillism and Decorative Art. Acrylic paint and paint pens, with pencil outlining the real coastal topography.