JANNA VANDERVEEN

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There are moments when I layer prose into my paintings. Amidst the layers of ephemera, inks, watercolors, and acrylics, I nestle words of encouragement, whispers of hope, and expressions of gratitude. I like the idea of hiding within each piece of art, a secret letter of love, that maybe some will see and others will feel. I scrawl my thoughts in French, since it’s considered the language of love and it’s appearance… Read More

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

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

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.

Recently, I lay awake in bed, convicted of a thought which would not release me to sleep. In the darkness of my bedroom, I slipped on a pair of headphones and began to listen to the song, Join with the Angels, by Planet Shakers. As the music played, I embraced the thought, and it embraced me. These words etched into my heart and inspired the painting, which I’ve titled, Refiner’s Fire. Maybe… Read More