october painting giveaway: virgin zion by janice trane jones {& ask the artist}
the virgin at zion by janice trane jones, 9 x 12 watercolor
When you visit any national park it is common to see the everyone with their cameras out and ready. Zion has it’s share of professionals scouring the hills and ravines for the perfect shot. ~ janice
For a chance to win this beautiful watercolor, leave a comment by Sunday October 31st midnight MST.
For a second entry, submit a query about Janice as a part of our October Ask the Artist edition. Here are some ideas of what to ask Janice:
- Where do you you find your inspiration?
- How long have you been painting?
- Where did you go to school? What did you study?
- Did you always want to create art?
- What is your favorite medium/subject/style?
I’ll post Janice’s answers Monday November 1st along with our winner. Well there you have it, have a wonderful weekend, Halloween, and best of luck with the giveaway!
wasatch back artists 
That is amazing! I love it.
Thank you Rebecca. I’m glad you like the painting. Janice
I don’t need to be entered into the drawing, I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate you sharing artwork like this, explaining it and posting it. I very much enjoyed looking at it this morning and thinking about my own visits to that National Park. Hope you will post others and let MMB know about it 🙂
gorgeous!
Thanks. I’m glad you like it. Janice
i like the photographer in the painting.
janice, why do you like watercolor? how do you decide your medium for a particular painting?
I love watercolor and oil. Each has it’s pros and cons. I love watercolor for it’s blending of the colors on the wet paper and the speed in which an artist can create. Many times when I watercolor it seems that the creativity flows just like the medium. I can stay up all night painting without even realizing that the night has passed.
I decide to use watercolor instead of oil if the subject needs a softer approach and a more serene feel. I have a tougher time getting that with oil paints.
I love it!!
thank you
Gorgeous! I also like the contrast of the human figure against all that color! Beautiful!
I couldn’t resist putting in the photographer because every other individual at Zion has a camera in their hand at all times.
I love the softness of the colors. Simply elegant! Beautiful work!
Hi Janice, Who has been your biggest influence on your style? Thanks!
Hi Julie,
Thanks for that question. I love John Singer Sargent and Winslow Homer. Their use of watercolor is so expressive and powerful. Each work they produced spoke volumes even though some were very small in size and simple in subject matter.
What a beautiful painting. I love that part of Utah.
Janice, we had such fun coming to your house (a long time ago) to paint in the class by Steve McGinty. Your gardens were incredible….My question is – How do you keep up all that garden and still find time to paint?
Nancy Jones
Hi Nancy,
It was fun having all the painters at the garden painting in the heat. Your question is a tough one. Since gardening and painting are two of my passions, it has been difficult to do both at full speed. Now that we have sold our home I will be more dedicated to my painting but will miss the 1 1/3 acres of flowers.
Beautiful watercolor. Your blending of colors is perfect.
Hey Janice! That is a beautiful piece. I can’t stop looking at the trees!! haha.
When you decide to do a painting, do you simply start painting and see what comes out? Or do you have a plan, goal, direction, etc before you get going? Thanks!
Casey
Casey,
Thank you for the nice words. When I watercolor vs oil paint, I generally like to do more sketches either in the field or in the studio. Watercolor is not as forgiving to me as oil so I tend to plan a little better. I hate starting over on a painting. Many of my florals are not planned out and are somewhat abstract or loose but those paintings with figures or buildings have to be planned to make the composition work.
So beautiful . I can never get enough of Zion
I agree with you about Zion. Every season and every day it seems to change. Always a new adventure and visual delight!
Water color is my very favorite medium. Nat’l Parks are my passion. I love the picture.
Thank you.
Love the picture
Hi Lynnette,
Thanks. Once I resettle in Colorado I will touch base. Janice
Love the varied colors and how they run so fluidly into each other.
Beautiful. I had the opportunity to work at a resort near Zion National Park. I fell in love with this beautiful place. I love the water color.
What was your first water color subject? Thanks.
My first watercolor was an indoor scene with an antique doll in a rocking chair. I didn’t realize at the time it was way to much to tackle with my very limited skills. I recommend to any new artist to start a very simple painting as your first goal and then move on to bigger and more complicated subjects as your skills and confidence improve.