Janet Moore Studio

Enter 2013 with Grace

admin — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 02:08:28 +0000

Really, I cannot say it’s sad to see 2012 end…it was a tough year for me personally with the loss of my sister. And I have not been in my studio except to stare blankly at the walls and my half-finished pieces. But I will start up. I am ready. I have splashed a bit of paint around on a couple of occasions and it felt good. Mostly I have been observing the world around me…especially while I was back East.

One image that had stayed with me in a very compelling way is a piece of urban street art on the front of a German bakery in Portsmouth New Hampshire. I LOVE this piece. Some wise young folks suggested it might be Bansky but a little more research has revealed that the artist is Bumblebee, a well-known artist from LA. www.unurth.com/The-Bumblebee-Interview

urban street art by Bumblebee

I had to go back several times to see this because it just haunted me, in a good way. Hope you enjoy this and will read more about this artist with the link above.

Art at the Source…so much fun.

admin — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 05:15:34 +0000

Here is the second demo I did on the first day of Art at the Source. It was toward the end of a busy first day and I just got into painting on a big white canvas with my charcoal and three colors of acrylics. I like the way this came out and so did some of my visitors…its spoken for…yet not quite done.

Art at the Source has one more weekend coming up…day after tomorrow. I love that the public can see my work space and my work, ask questions, give feedback and just hang out. This is my 7th year!

My Fascination with Bowls

admin — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:02:37 +0000

Eight Bowls

Not sure what my current fascination with bowls is all about. Some artists have a fall back image that they go to when they aren’t sure what to paint. Pears are common. I did a lot of apples at one time. These bowls are different. I feel like they mean something to me…kind of like barns. Stacking them is new for me…and while I may have originally been influenced by Carol Marine’s stacked bowls, mine are uncommonly dark in value. I actually painted this entire piece (28″ x 22″) in black and white and then glazed it with transparent pigments…all acrylic.

The birth of a painting

admin — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 02:02:20 +0000

Sketch with charcoal

I thought it would be fun to show the progression of a painting. Normally this would be hard for me to pull off since most of my work evolves as I paint it. But this was part of a larger commission so I was working from an approved color sketch.

This painting was an acrylic and charcoal landscape on a 24″ x 36″ gallery wrap canvas. I started by sketching in the major shapes including shadows. My minimal palette of just three colors plus white is softened by the use of charcoal.

Blocked in the darks and then mid-tone

Here I blocked in my darks first and then proceeded to add the sky and other mid-tones. Since charcoal dissolves into the paint, I need to work carefully in those areas with line work. Sometimes I go back over details with more charcoal. Spray varnish is necessary to fix the final version…but that comes later.

Adding mid-tone color

As I add in more midtone color, I make sure to repeatedly stand back from my easel to see if all the colors and values are working together. People ask how I get a soft, pastel look to my work. I tend to scrub my paints into the canvas to blend them…this works well to simulate the patchy values and color seen in fields and pastures (for me anyway!).

Finish with highlights and detail

I think I fiddled a little more with this afterward, but this is generally what the final piece looks like…The client wanted me to capture the calm, serene feel of our local landscapes…grassy, soft rolling hills of western sonoma county. We were both happy with the result.

Full Moon

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 04:56:26 +0000

ohhh…remember the full moon during the first week of January?
Hoping to catch a peek at it, my husband, dog and I walked along the shore near Bodega Head. The weather was unusually dry and windless. The big gorgeous moon popped up over the dunes and the sky turned pink…reflected in the water. exceptional!

this one is for you sis!

2012 Workshop and Class Schedule

admin — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 22:27:42 +0000

Coastal Foothills

Just posted my schedule for 2012 (see “teaching” page on this site). These sessions are all held at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts. Registration begins there soon, or you can email me now. These classes are limited in size so register early. All levels of painting experience are accommodated.

Don’t forget to refresh the page if dates are not showing…and email me if you have any questions.

New House, New Studio, New Work

admin — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 22:48:14 +0000

Well it’s been a year full of changes for me. Moving into a new house with a new studio has been exciting and overwhelming. We are still in Bodega Bay, but now in a spot with more land and more space for a studio. I am thrilled to have a dry and spacious area for my work. I finally have a chance to update my site and start blogging again.

Recently I have been working more with oils although charcoal and acrylics are still favorites especially for teaching. Also I find myself incorporating more of the coastline in my work. What a stretch! I even painted my darling dog recently in addition to sheep and poppies. (see “New” work posted in my gallery).

Getting ready for ARTrails… the longest running juried open studio tour in Sonoma County. I am Studio #1. This is my first time doing this event. I never applied before this year because my studio location was so remote; at the most western point of the county, and there were no other artists showing out here. But now that I am a bit closer to town, and happily joined by sculptor Colin Lambert in Studio #2 in Valley Ford, I am looking forward to it. The Fall is the best time to visit the coast weather-wise. Oh, glorious sunshine… here at last!

See me at Art at the Source Weekend #2

admin — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 20:59:45 +0000

Sheep in Pasture mixed media on canvas 30" x 30"

The first weekend of Art at the Source was great in spite of the weather on Saturday. It was so nice to see so many people out looking at (and buying) art… visitors to our Studio #45 also came to see me paint and Craig explain his process of custom woodworking.

Although I haven’t had 5 minutes to update my site here with new work, the image at the left is one of a series of new pieces with sheep…those darling lambs we see each winter and early spring around Sonoma, Marin and Mendocino Counties. This one has sold, but there are others in this series. Also I have some big new up-close images of barns…that I really love…in oil and some in mixed media, and the poppy paintings, plus the red jar paintings. So come see us this weekend and enjoy a fun and free outing on the coast. Studio #45 in Valley Ford, behind West County Design, 10 am – 5pm June 11-12!

Art at the Source June 4-5 and 11-12

admin — Tue, 24 May 2011 20:11:05 +0000

Only 2 weeks to go before ART at the SOURCE open studio tour! I am getting ready. I’ll be showing in Valley Ford this year with Craig Collins who makes custom fine furniture. The location is amazing … beautiful pastoral setting perfect for painting. Craig’s studio/ shop is so cool with all of the raw wood, tools and even a gorgeous wooden boat sitting high up in the rafters….a project dear to his heart.

This painting is the one I chose to hang in the preview show at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts. Visiting this show is a great way to see work by all of the 153 participating artists…and a way to plan your tour of the studios.

There are seven of us showing on the coast this year…right off of the coastal Highway One. Craig and I are in Valley Ford near the border of Marin and Sonoma Counties and there are 4 artists showing in Salmon Creek, just a few miles north near Bodega Bay.

Reception at Portalupi Wine

admin — Sat, 14 May 2011 19:10:51 +0000

The wonderful owners (and wine makers) Tim and Jane of Portalupi Wines are hosting a reception and new release celebration this Thursday May 19 from 6-8pm. My work is hanging in their tasting room which is located next door to the famous Raven Theater in downtown Healdsburg. They will be releasing their newest wine, an Italian white called Vermentino and pairing it with a seafood chowder…yum! So come on down and try a new wine, see my artwork and say hello.

This event is a preview exhibit for Art at the Source which is coming up real soon…June 4-5 and 11- 12. I am happy to be showing in Valley Ford, just down the road from Bodega Bay, with my friend Craig Collins. Craig is a fine custom furniture designer and builder. He and his wife Sharon own West County Design …one of the nicest shops in Sonoma County that features Craig’s work along with a stunning selection of fine arts and craft…most by local artists.

I am looking forward to Art at the Source this year…it’s my 6th year of doing this open studio tour. I love meeting everyone and talking about art. This year since I have moved (within Bodega Bay) and am currently moving my studio I will be willing to part with some pieces that I have been hanging on to…moving is the best incentive for downsizing, right?