Jane Emens

Artist’s Statement

In creating art, I seek to draw from within that which cannot be voiced in language or framed by rational concepts. Originally seeking meditative quiet, my concern now is to get out of my own way and let the free-flow from an inner source generate the piece, without my consciously understanding each mark or swoop of color. The odd gesture or the curious image holds my attention, pointing to thoughts or emotions that are just escaping my awareness. A piece “gels” when it abandons the trite or obvious, and its unexplained aspects direct me to other perspectives of experience. My process creates mixed-media textures on panels which are then spontaneously layered, wiped, and re-layered with markings, veils of paint, oil pastel, and matte medium. Working directly with my hands, these intuitively-based marks, shapes, and colors have developed their own psychic resonance, seemingly asserting themselves (and the titles as well), bypassing my intellectual and judgmental filters. The piece evolves itself.

 Biography

At the age of four, I joined my artist mother painting watercolors of the Vermont landscape.  This began a life-long passion for creating, yet I sought meaning in other academic pursuits (B.A., Oberlin College) before uniting my quest for meaning with my creative passion by combining insights from zen, cave paintings, earthworks, and ancient wall paintings (MFA, JFK University).  Studying with San Francisco Bay Area fiber artists inspired me to use sculptural forms and texture to create rock-like forms and “archeological” fragments from paper and mixed media. Retaining this textural layering of materials, I returned to the 2-dimensional surface with images inspired by the walls of Pompeii, cave paintings, graffiti, and petroglyphs.  My current work has evolved into more personal and meditative imagery using layers of mixed media.  Exhibitions have included Gallery 110, ArtsWest, Fraker/Scott Gallery, Art Xchange Gallery, and Gallery 154, Seattle, WA; Blue Heron and VALISE galleries, Vashon, WA; CR Gallery, Kenmore, WA; Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CA; California Museum of Art, Santa Rosa, CA; Codorniu Winery, Napa, CA; Winkler Gallery, Sutter Creek, CA; and Fiberworks, Berkeley, CA.  I have previous experience in teaching and academic/arts administration; currently I am working full-time in my studio near Seattle, WA.  (See "Resume" page for more details.)