JANNA VANDERVEEN
Fiction Author & Artist
Archives
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.
The wind, the trees, All bend their knees As love flies next to me, Like lightest air It touches my hair And slowly wakens me. I sigh its name The soft refrain Like water, drenches me. Its eyes meet mine Warm flowers that shine And knows the depths of me. This garden of light Where lovers delight Has won the heart of me. ~ Janna Vanderveen
You prepare a table Within this valley of beauty And my tears flow For I know I am in good hands You and me together. ~ Janna Vanderveen
When you speak, Wild things rise and shine, All a flutter, And my dreams flourish, Golden in light. ~ Janna Vanderveen
Golden light grows In this secret garden green, With verdant blossoming flowers Dripping lush nectar sweet. Tantalizing magic is its song. ~ Janna Vanderveen
When the rocks cry out And animals sing They boast of love And peaceful things. Each hallowed night With reverent tone They linger in the embrace Of their Holy Unknown. ~ Janna Vanderveen This 16″ x 20″ painting was completed using Golden acrylics, FW inks, a variety of ephemera, chalk pastels, Derwent Inktense pencils, Caran D’ache watercolor crayons, and Luminance Pencils.
Kindness intoxicates, its aroma smelling of unconditional love while its beauty rivals the most verdant of blossoming flowers. May we choose today to be intentional in our thoughts and actions as we live out lives of kindness.
You flourish beneath my wings And your beauty shines. I call you my greatest treasure And I name you wonderful, For you are my beloved And your worth knows no bounds. ~ Janna Vanderveen This 16″x20″ painting was completed using Golden Acrylic paint, FW acrylic inks, Caran D’ache Neocolor II and Luminance Pencils, Derwent Inks, Tombow Markers, Ephemera, and Alcohol Inks.
As I was placing the final details on this painting, I had tears leaking down my cheeks. I’d been listening to a song on repeat for several hours and its words touched my heart, awakening a new vision of love in a powerful way. “No lie, no fear, no tragedy, could keep you from loving me. From the mountain, to the earth below, your mercy won’t let me go. How great, how… Read More
We are star walker’s, each and every one of us, wading through light and darkness, while awakening to goodness and love. In the darkness we feel alone, yet God entered our darkness so we would never be alone, and thus darkness is but an illusion. In the light, we see the truth of God’s goodness and we no longer fear the shadows, for we see that they also are illusions which dissipate… Read More
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
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.
Mixed Media Painting | Penelope Bloom’s Ballerina Bunny Penelope Bloom has been on my mind again, along with her beloved toy bunny, reminding me of the purity and innocence of childhood. For a brief moment, I saw a Penelope Bloom bunny come to life, dancing in the light of the moon, free of everything that would weigh her down as she moved without constraints. Perhaps someday we will do the same. I… Read More
I recently completed an Ivy Newport class on abstract painting, which I loved!!! There I learned a whole new way of expression through art. I am drawn to the mystery of it all, with its implied stories and unique interpretations. In this mixed media painting, I first used charcoal, inks, ephemera, Inktense pencils, acrylics, and then Procreate. #GirlatDusk #IvyNewport #AcrylicPainting #CreateWonder
I almost…almost threw away this painting. It’s ugly stage lasted way too long, and I thought it was not salvageable, especially since I was trying out some new art supplies to go along with an art course, She blooms in Ink, by Tamara Laporte. Refusing to give in, I doggedly persisted. I have to admit, I like how she finally turned out. For this painting, I used Tombow watercolor markers, Jane Davenport… Read More
I recently completed a Fancy Lassies art class by Kate Thompson. This is my first attempt at painting a fancy lassies whimsical girl. It was fun to lay down paint in an impressionistic style.
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.
MY COMMUNITY
Sweetheart by Janna Etsy Shop
JANNA VANDERVEEN 