ARTIST STORY: Janet Fish

Another blog series I'm excited to start is "Artist Story". I've always loved to hear the stories of the artists behind some of my favorite paintings and I thought it would be fun to learn together! I'm hoping to share the lives behind some well known artists as well as some that may be new to you. Each one is sure to be interesting and inspiring...especially their beautiful work!

I'm starting with one of my recent favorites...Janet Fish! I was introduced to her work in college as I began to be interested in painting reflections. She is a master of still life, glass, texture and reflections.

Janet grew up in a family of artists! In 1963 she was one of the first women to get her Masters of Fine Arts from Yale. Art schools were teaching "Abstract Expressionism" at the time, but it just wasn't her style. She said, "Abstract Expressionism didn't mean anything to me. It was a set of rules."

She loves to paint "still life", a subject that I had always grumbled about in art school. I had always seen it as "another exercise" that lacked heart or meaning. That was, until I learned about Janet Fish. Her work focused on the play of light, colors in transparent objects, and said "plastic wrap catches the light and creates fascinating reflections." She found the beauty in everyday items. When I look at her paintings, they are full of meaning. She once said " I fell as thought I haven't seen an object until I actually start painting it."

Janet lives and paints out of her New York City loft and has worked very hard to become the brilliant painter that she is! "I had this attitude that it was going to take time for my work to grow. I had to develop skills to do what I wanted and I didn't really expect it was going to happen rapidly."-Janet Fish

*Sources: Wikipedia, Pinterest

I'd love to who your favorite artists are and who you'd like to see in "Artist Story". Let me know in the comments!