Janyce Kittler - Out on a Limb

ARTIST STATEMENT

As far back as I remember I have been drawn to the beauty of the world around me, and my paintings are a reflection of of that gravitational pull. I use oil paint to capture light and color to describe the mood and atmosphere of my subject.  My still life paintings are inspired by the objects that surround us, fruits, flowers, vegetables, and interesting containers that are carefully chosen to bring attention to color harmony, and light to evoke a sense of tranquility and contemplation. In my Landscapes and Seascapes, I work to capture the atmosphere and mood.  I enjoy fleeting light as it dances across water, through the trees, and in the distance hills, and valleys, and try to render that light on canvas.  My goal is to inspire those who see my work to pause, and to enjoy a moment of peace and calm.   

Janyce Kittler

ARTIST BIO

I was born on Cape Cod and have lived most of my life in Massachusetts.  I have always enjoyed working with my hands, making jewelry, quilts, doing pottery, sewing window treatments and some of my own clothes.   As I was approaching retirement from my psychotherapy practice.  I began dreaming of painting, and in 2016 I enrolled in Oil

Painting Classes at South Shore Art Center in Cohasset, and then North River Arts in Marshfield, MA.   I learned to paint “Alla Prima” from Dianne Panarelli-Miller, an internationally known artist with over 40 years of experience.   “Alla Prima” is a painting technique where a work of art is completed in a single session while the paint is still wet.  This technique begins by painting a thin coat of paint of dark values in a subject and finishes with thicker paint and lighter values.  Spring, summer and fall we painted outside, and in the studio during New England’s snowy winters. In every class instruction included the directive to “paint what you see, not what you know”.  Over time, with repetition I have been training my eye to see from an artist’s perspective.  The pandemic ended my study with Dianne so I began studying painting on the internet and have continued to do so since moving to Oregon in 2021.  My work has been exhibited at The Grey Raven Gallery in Beaverton, and for the past two years I have participated in the Chehalem Valley Lavender Paint Out and intend to participate this summer as well.