2015 Small Works Invitational - Artworks from Around North America, Nov 6-Dec 31, presents talented, award-winning artists from around the region and across the country.

Check out the artists exhibiting at the 2015 Small Works Invitational:

To preview the entire show click here.

Gallery News: 2015 Small Works Invitational--Opening Reception November 20, 6-9 pm.

2015 Small Works Invitational presents talented, award-winning artists from around the region and across the country. From realism to abstraction, the subjects are eclectic and diverse, showcasing the talents of a large group of artists, many who have never before exhibited in the St. Louis area. An opening reception at 6 p.m. on Friday, November 20, 2015 will allow guests to meet many of the artists and get the stories behind their memorable works.

I have three paintings in this exhibition. Please consider joining me on November 20 to view this extraordinary show. Some of the artists to be featured in Small Works include: Marc Hanson (CO), Sarah Blumenschein (AZ), David Castle (OR), Rodgers Naylor (CO), Lee McVey (NM), Chris Saper (AZ), Spencer Meagher (IL), Arlene Sternberg (NY), LaVone Sterling (CA), John Bayalis, (FL), Julie Wiegand (MO), Susan Rodgers (MO).

Rocky Overlook, oil, 12x9 by Janet Fons

Contemporary art can encompass extreme realism to absolute abstraction…and all genres play a unique role contemporary art. Contemporary just means "art that has been and continues to be created during our lifetimes." In other words, contemporary to us. Today’s art covers a broad range of materials, mediums and technologies offering remarkable diversity. Contemporary artists work at capturing their version of the world creating remarkable artwork everyday.

To showcase this variety, OA Gallery artists have invited artists they know and admire from across the region and country to share their talents in a small format. From November 6 through December 31, 2015, over 150 small works will be featured at OA Gallery, 101A West Argonne in Kirkwood. 

Secret Stream, oil, 12x9 by Janet Fons

Upcoming Reception at Art St. Louis XXXI The Exhibition

I am so excited to be juried into this exhibition! Only 40 artists were juried into this show. I hope you can attend the opening reception.
To see the painting that is in the exhibition:
http://www.janetfons.com/store/p92/River_Rocks.html

Art St. Louis XXXI, The Exhibition • November 7 - December 23, 2015 FREE reception, Juror's Gallery Talk & Awards: Saturday, November 14, 6-8:30 p.m. 
Art Saint Louis presents Art St. Louis XXXI, The Exhibition, our 31st annual all media, all themes, all styles, all techniques juried exhibit, appearing in the Art Saint Louis Gallery at 1223 Pine Street in downtown St. Louis, MO. The exhibition is presented November 7 through December 23, 2015, with a FREE reception, Juror's Gallery Talk & Awards on Saturday, November 14, 2015, 6-8:30 p.m., with Juror Porter Arneill.

For this year's exhibit, 603 artworks were submitted by 144 St. Louis regional artists for consideration by exhibition Juror Porter Arneill, from which he selected 51 artworks in a variety of media by 40 artists from Missouri and Illinois for the final show. 

To see all my artwork, click here.

One Day Show this Saturday at Greenscape Gardens in Manchester, MO

Janet Fons, Little Stream, 6x6, oil on canvas

Join me for ECO-ART IN THE GARDENS, a one day show at Greenscape Gardens Nursery featuring the area's best nature inspired artists. The show will be inside so we will be open rain or shine!

I will be showing lots of new work, new fine art limited edition prints and raffling off something fun just for coming by my booth!

9am to 4pm Saturday, September 26, 2015
2832 Barrett Station RoadManchester, MO 630211 mile west of I-270 at Dougherty Ferry Rd.

For more information:
www.greenscapegardens.com

Landscape reproductions sell to a new collector!

Large Trees in Autumn Color (24x16), Curve and Water's Edge (12x12)  

Happiness is an email (or three) from Fine Art America letting me know that I sold three fine art reproductions to someone in Columbia, MO. Since the sales are always anonymous, I do not know who to thank. SO if you happen to read my blog...this is a big thank you! Feel free to sign up for my newsletter.

These three oil paintings are very complimentary in color, with very warm tones dominating and feature vibrant brush work on canvas. The originals artworks are available and can be found on my website: janetfons.com

Forest Park Landscape: Looking Upstream

Looking Upstream, 14x11, oil on panel by Janet Fons

This Forest Park (St. Louis, MO) landscape in oil is painted using a palette knife which builds up the surface quickly and establishes an interesting texture.

If you are interested in purchasing this painting, click here.

To see all my artwork, click here.

New Landscape in oil: River Rocks (Forest Park, St. Louis)

River Rocks, oil on panel, 12 x16 by Janet Fons

This close up view of a stream flowing over rocks in Forest Park (St. Louis, MO) is one of my favorite subjects. I used a mix of warm and cool tones to convey a feeling of tranquility. This scene is painted with a palette knife which allows the surface to be built up quickly and establishes an interesting texture. To see all my artwork, click here.

New artwork: "Japanese Bridge" Missouri Botanical Gardens

"Japanese Bridge", oil on panel, 16x12

This original landscape in oil is painted with a palette knife. 

To see all my artwork click here.

Dedicated in 1977, the 14-acre Japanese Garden, one of the largest in North America, represents an evolution of centuries of tradition and a multiplicity of distinctly Japanese cultural influences.

The garden design incorporates the use of traditional Japanese bridges, intended not solely as a means of crossing from island to shore, but to provide points where garden visitors can enjoy viewing the water, the reflections of sunlight on foliage and the fish swimming below.

Marsh Light: new landscape capturing the fleeting light at the end of the day.

This new artwork in oil, is created with a more subdued color range, painted entirely with my palette knife. This allows the surface to be built up quickly and capture the drama and texture of the setting sun. Marshlands are fascinating and present reflections of the sky. The edges of the grassy areas are often dark and mysterious. To see all my artwork, click here.

Marsh Light, Oil, 16x12

New Landscapes in Oil

 The Poetry of Trees.

The subjects of this new series of paintings are trees. Trees are my figures and their forms are prominent in this series.  These paintings depict a favorite area of mine in Colorado. I spent thirty years in Colorado and although I was not born there, I consider myself a native. The aspen scenes I’ve painted here are from the Shadow Mountain area near Grand Lake which is the western gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park. Fall is a magical time in the rockies, you can drive along quiet roads and stop the car at any point to view the spectacle of aspen.

Aspen Trees I, Oil on canvas panel, 11x14

Aspen Trees II, Oil on canvas panel, 11x14

Aspen Trees III, Oil on canvas panel, 11x14

New Exhibition at Jacoby Arts Center: GET REAL - Contemporary Realism from Art Group 360

New Exhibition at Jacoby Explores the St. Louis Region Through the Eyes of ArtistsGET REAL – Contemporary Realism from Art Group 360 Begins March 6^th   

Contemporary art is often synonymous with the abstract – symbolic and unrecognizable. Yet, realism plays an important role in the contemporary art movement, capturing in paint, pastel and watercolor those moments that stir our souls and shape our lives without distorting our view. Contemporary representational artists capture the “realness” of the world instead of creating the “ideal,” uncovering the remarkable in the everyday.

Since 2012, the artists of Art Group 360, an art collaborative in St. Louis, have aspired to strengthen the genre of realism through collective exhibitions and arts education. From March 6 through April 18, 2015, the works of the group’s renowned artists will be featured during GET REAL – Contemporary Realism from Art Group 360, a special exhibit at Jacoby Arts Center, 627 East Broadway in Alton. 

GET REAL showcases realistic scenes and situations that reflect the unique dichotomy of our region – the urban and the rural. From everyday objects and landscapes to the human figure and botanicals, they are scenes familiar to all, but viewed like never before through the eyes of artists who uncover the hidden beauty we are often too busy to see. An opening reception at 6 p.m. on Friday, March 6, 2015 will allow guests to meet the artists and get the stories behind their memorable works.

“The artistry, professionalism and diversity of the group will make this exhibit true eye candy for art lovers,” said Dee Kilgo, member of the Jacoby board of directors. “By exploring a broad range of ideals, materials and processes, the members of Art Group 360 create a stimulating approach to observational and representational painting.”

Art Group 360 artists to be featured in GET REAL include:

• John Dean – Based on careful observation and expressive representation, Dean’s paintings reflect the quintessential Midwest scene, highlighting iconic barns, plowed fields and open skies.
• Marie Donato – Through chosen painted experiences of light and dark, Donato invites viewers into the river landscape, sharing its beauty, strength and drama.
• Janet Fons – Fons’ colorful palette and strong brush work grab moments of light from the scenes in our lives, imparting just enough detail to allow viewers to feel they are there.
• Lisa Ober – Awash in exquisite realism, Ober’s intricate portraits capture the personality of each muse while her still lifes focus on down-to-earth and everyday subjects with a playful twist.
• Steve Morris –Morris realistically depicts nature at different stages of life. He captures beauty even after the beauty is gone to demonstrate how Mother Nature weaves artistry into everything she creates.
• Linda Smith – A self-proclaimed people watcher, Smith gives art lovers a glimpse into the world of others. Her study of the human body and its surrounding environments is her love story to real life.

To learn more about Art Group 360 and get a sneak peek at many of the works to be featured at GET REAL, visit www.artgroup360.com.

Still Water 2: reflecting on a landscape that has found a new home

Reflection can be an image, a representation or careful consideration.  I love the double meaning.
My series of trees reflected in water shows the physical reflection and my reflecting on these images through my paintings.
These reflections show how colors and shapes change when reflected in water--moving, muted and more subtle than the real things reflected in them. 

Still Water II is 24 x 24 inches, oil on gallery wrapped canvas (sides painted. It delivered to a new home this past December, the gift of a good friend and collector to his daughter.