Janice Hodge Painter

       My creative process began when growing up on a farm. I was able to touch the soil, smell the aroma of the outdoors and appreciate the textures of a worn barn door, tree or old farm equipment. Creating art began when, as an young adult, I purchased a 35 mm camera and learned to develop and print in black and white. This led to wanting to color that world by transferring the beauty of the outdoors onto canvas. Inspired by such old world artists as Andrew Wyeth and Monet, I could see the beauty that their eyes sought out.

       Mostly self-taught, with some private lessons, I learned to visually produce what my travels allowed me to see. Still exploring, be it within the great state of Maine or in Europe, many of the places I have visited feel to me like pieces of history, containing relics that have gone to their perpetual rest. Sometimes I stumble upon a place untouched by civilization at all, camera in hand. When I began painting realistically in oils from my photographs, I also took on the challenge of pastel painting, and more recently, acrylics. While I can’t decide which is my greatest love, I am still drawn toward the wonders of the past, looking to produce an image depicting what once was that I hope will bring pleasant memories to someone else.