Jane Gardner

Artist Statement

When writer friends in New York invited me to join them in abstract painting classes on Zoom with Mellissa Morris via Falmouth Art Center in Massachusetts, I signed up. The result is the art work I am now doing.

This is what I learned to do: I experiment. Making art is almost like cooking or writing. I incorporate a variety of materials from china markers, collage, colored pencils, paints, pastels, charcoals, and transform recycled paper in my work.

Abstract painting helped me to thrive during the Pandemic. My adventure has freed up my imagination and my work is a form of meditation: I have active conversation with the materials, the canvas or paper and the colors. Most often, I draw a line and see where it takes me.

Sometimes I think, other times, I am spoken to and a story unfolds. I believe Art heals the spirit and weaves richness into our lives! I hope you will enjoy looking at my work.

Artist Bio

I was raised in Wilson, North Carolina and graduated from East Carolina University’s School of Art. In 1969 I moved to New York City and stopped painting for approximately fifty years. My interest in the creative process however led me on a different path, to independently study a number of artists and to learn from their best practices. This research resulted in the publication of a wellreviewed photo essay children’s picture book: Henry Moore: From Bones and Stones to Sketches and Sculptures.

Upon my return to Wilson in 2002, I taught elementary school and middle school art to literally thousands of students during my thirteen year tenure. I support and enjoy friendships through Wilson Arts, NC Museum of Art, Wilson Active Artists, Falmouth Art Center, and Tar River Artists Collaborative.

Contact:

jane.gardner@myglnc.com