Artist Focus

Artist Focus: Janis Sanders

“Maine and New England are rich with an abundance of unique, eye-catching coastal and inland scenes, many with a historical significance,” says artist Janis Sanders. “Over the course of a short day-trip, or during an extended stay at the coast, dozens of such scenes reveal themselves along the way. I’m captivated by the way light glances on green forests and grassy pastures; bounces on undulating ocean waters; how it lands gently on weathered fishing shacks, or in the nooks and crannies of more elaborate dormered structures, casting long rich dark shadows as the sun moves in its path across the sky.”

Seagrass & Rocks, oil on panel, 24 x 24"

Sanders continues, “In this myriad of immeasurable moments, sometimes just a split-second glimpse of intense light on an object, sometimes a full-stop to observe and absorb that moment, I take pause and take in the atmosphere, the scent of coastal salt air, sounds of native birds, the gentle rustle of grasses or leaves on an ancient tree or the warmth of sun on my skin.

Shacks with a View, oil on canvas, 30 x 30"

“These impressions form an invaluable keepsake that I hold onto as much as possible,” he adds, “and take back to the studio where I translate my interpretation of that moment through the magic of paint.”

Sanders will be showing new work in the exhibition Color, Shape, Light,on view at Maine Art Hill in Kennebunk, Maine, from June 14 through July 2. —