JANNA VANDERVEEN
Fiction Author & Artist
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Watercolor Painting | Hidden I am drawn repeatedly to paint women peering through secret gardens, as if they are inviting me to enter their sacred sanctuaries where suffering, striving, competition, and inequality no longer exist. They live there, not because of something they have done, but simply because they “are.” In this haven of light, where love is the water of life, all are welcome and none are denied.
When you speak, Wild things rise and shine, All a flutter, And my dreams flourish, Golden in light. ~ Janna Vanderveen
I followed a YouTube tutorial by Lucy Brydon, a Gel Printing master, to create this abstract-type, midnight landscape. It consists of many different layers of transparent colors. I used golden open paints, a Gelli plate, brayer, and Posca pens.
My daughter and I tackled another mixed media painting together, after she asked me to paint her a second puppy portrait to place on her bedroom wall. She drew this image over top of a mixed media, ephemera-rich background. I used inks, Caran C’ache Neocolor 2 crayons, golden acrylic paints, Winsor Newton Oil Bars, oil pastels, Posca Pens, Gelatos, and a Stabillo pencil to complete this look. We both like how she… Read More
My daughter and I collaborated on this painting. She drew the puppy which I then painted using inks, acrylics, gelatos, neocolor 2’s, oil pastels, and oil paints. Her excitement as she watched it come to life was contagious. We will have to do it again.
I cannot begin to tell you how much fun it is to paint freely and forget all the rules. This abstract painting was a study of Juliette Crane’s, “Wild and Free” course. It makes me think of winter, traveling, and the colors of Christmas.
I tried my hand at creating something a little different this week, compared to my usual splashy, color-filled paintings. Having recently learned some new skills from the great Lucy Brydon, a master Gelli print artist, I decided to experiment with my supplies to create an image which has been floating around in my mind. Using muted tones, I created a landscape scene using a Gelli plate and open acrylic paints. Drawing into… Read More
I had a vision of a girl standing between the trees with her bunny, staring out at the world. She was neither happy nor sad. Accepting, I think. Maybe somewhat lost and alone. But ultimately, I knew that she belonged in this forest of light, where peace, love, and beauty abound. Girl in Forest, Janna Vanderveen 2017
One of my favorite on-line art teachers is Tamara Laporte from willowing.org in South England. An accomplished artist and soon to be author, she has mastered the craft of creating whimsical characters on paper. She recently completed a series of paintings using only a few Tombow markers and some Caran d’ache neocolor crayons. I was intrigued by the simplicity of her supplies and the complexity of her pieces, and thought that I’d try to emulate her work. I had to… Read More
This is the second, in a series of three watercolor thank-you cards, featuring my whimsical princess with her bunny. I love painting sunsets and valleys reflecting the beauty of life all around. I used a combination of artist grade MaimeriBlu and professional grade Winsor Newton watercolor paints on this 5×7 card.
This is the first, in a series of three watercolor thank-you cards, featuring my whimsical princess with her bunny. I love how it turned out. I used a combination of artist grade MaimeriBlu and professional grade Winsor Newton watercolor paints on this 5×7 cards.
No matter how deep you fall, or to what depths you dive, I am there. I descended to the depths to be with you, but I didn’t stay there. On the third day, I rose and took you with me.
I completed this 9″ x 13″ watercolor illustration on 140 lb. watercolor paper using Winsor Newton and Maimeri Blu watercolor paints.
Even when the sun wanes, You are not alone, For in darkness, My love shines brightest for you. ~ Janna Vanderveen
Would you awaken the moon For a glimpse of the queen? Would you open your eyes And risk being seen? For she laces the frost With her silver-hearted breath, Creating beauty in madness, She whispers life into death. ~ Janna Vanderveen
She materialized to life From the shadowland’s hold. Filled with color and light And visions untold. ~ Janna Vanderveen
She ruled, not with an iron fist, But with an iron-clad mind, For her identity found footing in love, And her compassion could not be shaken. ~ Janna Vanderveen
Where science and fantasy meet, Imagination abounds. From the pixels, Pixies emerge, And beauty astounds. ~ Janna Vanderveen
I completed this 12 1/2″ by 19 1/2″ painting of “A girl in moonlight” using watercolor paints for her face, a variety of inks and watercolor crayons for her hair, modeling paste over ephemera to create textured clothing, and oil crayons over a layered background to create a dreamy sky. I love how she turned out.
This 20″ by 20″ acrylic painting on canvas of a Volkswagen Campervan was a blast to paint. I loved working with several bright acrylics and a random assortment of ephemera. It made for a fun, colorful, and GROOVY, painting which is perfect for any room.
MY COMMUNITY
Sweetheart by Janna Etsy Shop
JANNA VANDERVEEN 