JANINE MEDLIN Initially inspired to paint by her desire to tell the story of her family, Janine began painting scenes of places they had been, then expanded from there. She is fascinated by the beauty and complexity of single elements of nature, particularly those found in the mountains. Janine found her voice in a technique called sgraffito, carving the image into a thick layer of oil paint thickened with cold wax. Her favorite painting surface is re-claimed walnut from a local furniture artisan, but works on artist wood panel or canvas as size and intention dictate. With palette knife, brush, and carving tool she adds detail and texture by adding and scraping away paint as interest moves around the canvas. “The juxtaposition of lights and shadows or grays and rich colors along with varying texture are where I see a story emerge.” She constantly stretches boundaries as she studies under Andy Braitman, where she has been for the past seven years. Her paintings hang in the homes of numerous art collectors across the country, from the east coast to Sonoma Valley in Northern California. Janine participates in several local charities and shows. She has consistently been a finalist in the juried Art With Heart show, winning second place in 2012. Janine is learning to see into the mystery of beauty and wildness that comes through creation, and reflect an aspect of it on canvas. She invites the viewer into the common experience of the subject and offers her interpretation of what lays beyond what is seen. Her texture and layers combine with color harmony and contrast to lead the eye around the painting to discover new areas of interest with each viewing. What she hopes to convey is that something that awakens in our soul when we stand in awe in the midst of a stand of Aspens, or the vastness and serenity of a wide-open stretch of land. “What we see in nature is just the beginning; it is what comes through the trees or the land that makes our hearts come alive.” Learn more at janinemedlinfineart.com and @janinemedlinfineart .
aM T M T H E M I L L M AG A Z I N E
Paintings by Artist Janine Medlin. Photos courtesy of janinemedlinfineart.com.
ART LIFE•EDITION 11 NO. 1•THEMILLMAGAZINE.COM
53