Jane Evans

 

I first picked up a paintbrush twenty years ago, beginning with oil paints and have since flirted back and forth between acrylic and oil. 

 

I have always lived in a world where I alter or change visually what “is”….. in my mind. 

My earlier works were very representational of trees and faces. The trees were always stand-alone trees, evoking a story for me.  Often the trunks were irregular from their exposure to the elements or had moss hanging from their boughs displaying a symbiotic relationship. These were the trees that attracted my attention, inspiring me to recreate them on canvas. Faces also fascinated me, especially the ones where the eyes seemed incongruent with the age of the face. 

 

I am a self-taught artist and over the years have attended many workshops as well as classes at the Alberta College of Art and Design. In my creative journey, I have pursued glass blowing and jewelry but these mediums did not speak to me.  

Through my extensive travels, I have been fortunate enough to view many of the world's masterpieces first hand which has left a marked impression on me. Earlier in my career, I was influenced by the paintings of abstract expressionist Mark Rothko and his ability to evoke emotions, through the use of color.  Gerhard Richter’s original blur paintings had a marked influence on me as well.  

 

I am a wanderer and a seeker of new experiences.   A recorder of how I perceive life and moments around me.  I have found calming freedom in my minimalist paintings.  To create something beautiful with what appears to be a simple image is challenging.  Like a writer who composes meaningful, descriptive sentences with few words, every decision I make on the canvas becomes integral to the overall composition.  My images are minimal because I seek a personal calm and tranquility in my life.  The Kimono Series evokes a sense of order for me and incorporates strong use of color and texture. 

 

The shadow series tells a story of an image that at times can be gender-neutral.  I wanted to compose a silhouette without all the material trappings of identity or outward physical details.....we simply are who we are, a shadow of an image -non-permanent.

 

I like to push the edge of creativity because when I feel uncomfortable it opens the space to grow, develop and see anew.  I enjoy redefining the way we view art - expanding the boundaries of what we perceive.   

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