There is a lot of superb contemporary art being made these days; this article by Allison Malafronte shines light on a gifted individual.
Janell James (b. 1974) does not feel the need to define her subject matter in any particular way, nor to confine herself to a specific form of expression. Her portfolio includes multi-layered acrylic-on-glass works, representational oil paintings, abstract paintings, mixed-media three-dimensional pieces, and most recently large acrylic-glass hanging mobiles. This intellectually curious artist is constantly experimenting and pushing the boundaries of her capabilities to see how far she can go and what creative possibilities await.
James is classically trained, but, according to her artist’s statement, she “untrained herself through deconstruction of the formal art process, intentionally looking for a way to take what is old and make it new.” She continues, “My goal has always been to bridge the gap between traditional and contemporary art. Approaching my work from a modern and abstract perspective allows for endless possibilities.
“In ateliers in Paris and Belmont, California, I first learned to paint light and about the technique of luminescence through layering paint and glazes, as well as the suspension of paint in glazes, to create depth of field. Fifteen years into my career, I began layering painted sheets of acrylic glass to reveal the layers and create a 3-D depth. As I painted on the front and back of five sheets of acrylic glass, 10 separate layers of paint began to play with light, to cast shadows, and to come alive.”
(Jackson, Wyoming)
The interconnectedness of these elements — layers of paint, light, color, shape, dimension — gives James’s work a surge of kinetic energy and vibrancy that is best experienced in person. Even remotely, however, viewers can get lost in the compelling mosaic-like construction. For “Punctuating the Blue,” James turned again to one of her greatest inspirations, nature, to create a kaleidoscope of shape, color, and design. The outdoors has long been the artist’s playground, and when she is not in her studio, she is hiking, walking her dog, and collecting visual stimuli in the mountains of her home state of Utah.
“Nature is a source of abstraction and color for my artist’s eye,” she says. “It is the muse that gives life to the work I do, regardless of the medium I choose for the expression. Seeing nature through this lens provides me endless opportunities to explore and create.”
Attention Art Collectors!
May 20-22, 2025: Visit the Plein Air Convention & Expo’s robust pop-up art gallery at the Nugget Casino Resort in Reno, Nevada, where hundreds of artists, including our master faculty, will have contemporary art, including plein air works, on display and ready to purchase. Register for the full event at PleinAirConvention.com now.
View more artist and collector profiles here at FineArtConnoisseur.com.
