Janell James

Janell James is a prolific and talented painter whose passion for artmaking has its roots in her earliest childhood memories. At the age of seventeen, painter Janell James engaged in study under one of Utah’s premier painters, Connie Borup. “Connie was a wonderfully, amazing teacher with such generosity in sharing her art method. She was such an inspiration that I even tracked her down once I started attending the University of Utah. After college I followed her to Sun Valley, ID for one of her workshops and I plan to join her in a plein air painting workshop in France one day. Connie has paved the way for me in recognizing a valuable teacher when I come across one and so far I have been lucky to work with several amazing painters.” For the past three years, Janell has been hard at work focusing her talents on the Classical Atelier approach, under the tutelage of some of the best artists of Utah, New York and France. Recently, Janell completed an intensive six-month Artist in Residency program at the Bay Area Classical Artists Atelier in Belmont (BACAA), CA. (http://www.bacaa.org/) Three months of her study was under the tutelage of Ted Seth Jacobs (http://www.tedsethjacobs.com/) focusing on drawing the human form and portrait with nothing other than natural, north facing light akin to the methods of the old Masters. The remaining three months focused on painting the portrait in all its complexity. BACAA opened up another fortunate opportunity for Janell to study drawing and painting under the guidance of Michael Grimaldi (http://www.michaelgrimaldi.net/) a renowned draftsman from New York. The Classical Atelier approach also drew Janell to Paris, France where she studied for three weeks this past April with Tim Stoltz and Michelle Tully through their school, Studio Escalier (http://www.studioescalier.com/). Again, Janell focused her eye on understanding the human form and the way light plays its’ way along and around the human body. Back home in Utah, where Janell is native born, she continues to study under some of Utah’s best painters and draftsmen: Paul Davis, David Dornan, Doug Braithwaite (http://www.dougbraithwaite.com/bio.html) and Connie Borup (http://www.connieborup.com/). “I feel so lucky to be able to continue my studies with Paul, David, Doug and Connie. They are all so talented and a great part of their work resonates with me in a way that is powerfully influential. I learn something new that I take with me each time I study with them. I look forward to these workshops more and more. They are very free and liberating; a part of the learning process that is equally important to me as the formal process of an Atelier but still with an Atelier understanding as the foundation for their teachings.” These local Utah workshops have also introduced Janell to many up and coming Utah artists. “The greatest part of a workshop is that I get to study with so many great people that are talented artists. It is exciting for me to understand their technique and approach to art and see their creative process in action. All my artist friends inspire me to new levels.” Janell has an eclectic sense of self that is reflective in her vibrant, prolific and energetic body of work. With a good foundation of study under her, Janell plans to continue to paint and explore the new directions her creative mind will lead her. As Janell says, “There is no one way to do anything which means the learning will never stop.”