Janna Watson | Suspended in Time

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Janna Watson, "Air is a Popular Contender," 2019

mixed media on panel, 54" x 54"

Opening Reception: Saturday, February 9, 2-4 PM ARTIST IN ATTENDANCE

Suspended in Time is a new body of work by acclaimed painter Janna Watson. The exhibition is inspired by the artist’s late grandfather Arthur Bonnet, a seasoned artist who turned away from landscape painting in the 1940s and moved towards abstraction after studying at Pratt Institute in New York as Expressionism was making its way to Canada.

The legacy of Arthur Bonnet is present throughout Suspended in Time. From early painting lessons to exciting trips to the art supply store, Arthur was a pivotal influence on the artist throughout her artistic career. Over the years, Janna has incorporated lighter washes of paint across wood panel, preferring the birch wood surface to canvas for its ability to absorb paint like watercolour paper. As Arthur taught Janna the fundamentals of painting, he also urged her to develop her own voice and encouraged her to paint wildly. “I love things harmoniously ugly", Arthur would declare. This sentiment now largely informs Janna’s choice of colour, line and stroke as she lays down each bold, intuitive mark, delicately suspended in time and space. The artist explains, “When I feel a painting is nearly complete, I like to use oil stick and ink as the final step to help ground the work. It’s a personal reminder to paint wilder! These scribbles are my exclamation marks that finish each sentence”.

Suspended in Time is Watson’s ode to the late Arthur Bonnet, a suite of paintings created with painterly fervour in honour of the hundredth anniversary of Arthur’s life.