Jennifer Janik is an abstract oil painter who is new to this year’s art walk. Be sure to come out Saturday to get a good look at some of her recent works.

For me, the passion to paint and play with bright primary colours comes from deep within my solar plexus and bubbles out into vague visual impressions. As I push the brush around the canvas, the outside worldly distractions fade and all I feel is the movement of the lines. There is a point where there is not choice but to paint. The colours tend to come from the energy of the subject or idea that I’m focused on. Often the image captures a moment in time with all the emotion and feeling contained within it.

I love painting with oils because of the vibrancy of the colour and the smooth flow of the brush across the canvas. They give me the freedom that I need to be spontaneous in capturing the fleeting wisps of an elusive impression that I’m trying to pin down on the canvas. The best paintings have all come from a glimpse of an abstract image that flutters through my mind leaving me with only the gesture of the line behind the idea. The colours and movement of the brush strokes all come from the meditative space of chopping wood and carrying water, detaching from the judgement of the image and not really looking at the whole until it is done. I have no choice but to trust the subconscious to lead the brush to where it needs to be.

Life’s path has lead me through a career in technology that pushed painting to the back of the closet in favour of “earning a living”. While I have done many creative technology projects, colour was still missing from the formula. Originally, I had a goal of a career in digital art, but it is only now that the technology and tools have matured to the point where art has significant commercial value in a world hungry for content. My newest goal is to raise the profile and value of the unique creative skills of artists while merging the two aspects of my persona into one consistent path. The story continues with Mad Hatter Technology where Marketing Meets Technology and we push the limits of creative communications.

Jennifer Janik
www.JenniferJanik.com