By Jima Abbott Artists are an experimental bunch, always ready to ...

Janet’s first exposure to fine art was a school trip tothe Baltimore Museum of Art to see the ConeCollection of post-Impressionist and 20th centurycontemporary art. Viewing the colorful, original masterpiecesup close and hearing stories of the artists’ lives, shedecided then and there that art must be a very importantpart of life. The actual idea of becoming an artist cameabout in the ninth grade when the class was given aptitudetests to determine which high school to attend. When theresults came in, the school counselor called Janet into heroffice and asked if she realized that she was an artist.Picturing herself in a beret and hanging out in coffeehouses, Janet asked what exactly an artist is. The counselorsmiled and replied that sheneeded to discover what thismeant for herself. And so shedid, going on to a school offeringa specialized art curriculumto study both fine and appliedarts. In her senior year theMaryland State Legislatureawarded her a full universityscholarship to study studio art atthe University of Maryland,College Park.To make a living Janet begana career in graphic design formany years, returning to heroriginal interest of painting in2002 as an artist-in-residence atthe Mendocino Art Center. Tobecome reacquainted withdrawing and painting media, shestarted out creating small workson paper with oil-based coloredpencil, then moved on toabstracted watercolor landscapes.Then a few years ago sheFrom Stardust began painting large acrylicworks on paper and also aseries of oil paintingsexploring the phenomenonof light and luminosity.Her current body ofwork is based on improvisationaltechniques,painting without preconceivedideas or planning,to create original imagesspontaneously expressiveand unique to the individualartist. Though thepaintings are createdquickly, by mixing colordirectly on the paper, theyare mostly introspective,visual meditations with Red to Orangean enigmatic, etherealquality. She says it isalchemy of a certain sort, working with intuition andmaterials in a way that have no certain outcome. For Janetthe process is a journey into the mysteries of creativity.Through the exhibition of these paintings she hasbecome interested in a deeper understanding of the visuallanguage of abstract art and how it activates a viewer’simagination and sense of wonder. This dialogue betweenthe viewer and a work of art has become part of the effortof her work, observing how the elements of color, form,and line speak to both the viewer and artist.It’s a return to that original realization that art isindeed an important part of life.Janet Seifert can be contacted at PO Box 1747, Mendocino,CA 95460-1747 or 707 937-3054. Studio visits and commissionswelcomed.27