Today we’d like to introduce you to Janis Commentz.
Hi Janis, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
Ever since I was very young and could make marks on paper or a blackboard, I have loved drawing, especially people. I was surrounded by art supplies as the daughter and niece of artists. Vacations included trips to art colonies such as Carmel, and art museum visits were frequent. I saw my first Monet exhibit in Los Angeles from my stroller! As a third-generation LA artist, I am fortunate!
My story includes my early desire to teach – and I often taught neighborhood children. It was only natural that I became a teacher.
My father built easels and frames for my mother and provided a large blackboard for me. I was introduced to poster paint, pastel and watercolor. Eventually, my father cut small Masonite rectangles for me to paint on, and my mother showed me how to carefully prime and sand these – for a wonderful painting surface. I soon moved to stretching large canvases. I learned to use acrylic and oil paints. During high school, I drew advertisements for a local newspaper.
Los Angeles provides a larger-than-life backdrop. My mother attended Hollywood High School and always encouraged opportunity. She had been a sculptor, ceramist, and painter. During high school, I attended special figure drawing classes at Art Center School of Design and teen workshops at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)-where we served as student docents! During the Depression era, my grandmother created beautiful handmade silk flowers and provided large bouquets on a rotating basis to hotels such as the Biltmore and the Ambassador. She eventually was the floral designer at the famous Clifton Pacific Seas. I believe my passion for painting was inherited and nurtured!
I earned a BA in art (painting emphasis) and British Literature at the University of Redlands and later an MA in Education at California State University San Bernardino.
Again, the fortune of fate stepped up. I began teaching high school English and art near Joshua Tree. The area was not trendy when I arrived, and I was not called to the desert. However, I believe desert beauty is an acquired taste. Sun, blue skies, and the phantasmic Joshua Trees have infused my painting. Desert vistas really do satisfy much as a seaside view, and I grew up with one in Palos Verdes!
Today I paint, write, blog, travel and teach painting workshops. For almost a decade, I facilitated life drawing at the beautiful Joshua Tree Retreat Center designed by Frank Lloyd Wright’s son. I love to encourage other artists, and I meet regularly both online, where I facilitate a weekly Zoom Art class and in person. I have participated in the very popular Hwy 62 Open Studio Art Tours and served as Gallery Director at Gallery 62 in Joshua Tree. I am currently exhibiting at:
-Asher Grey Gallery, a contemporary art initiative based in Joshua Tree, California, and Venice Beach, as February Featured artist
-Joshua Tree National Park Association West in Yucca Valley
-Purple Agave – Cactus Mart in Morongo Valley
-Rainbow Stew in Yucca Valley
-Soul Connection in Joshua Tree
I also have an online shop, French Press & Mojave Inspiration, specializing in stationery and calendars of my travel sketches and paintings of France and the Mojave Desert. I have been delighted to exhibit as part of the Hwy 62 Open Studio Art Tours (11 years), Joshua Tree National Park Juried Art Exposition (10 years), Joshua Tree National Park Spring Art Festival, Textures Art Gallery-Riverside, Art Faire at CSUSB and Art For Heaven’s Sake (3 years).
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I was blessed to be provided encouragement, art materials, visits to museums and galleries since a young age. However, becoming a serious painter requires dedication and persistence. It is one thing to follow your passion and another to pursue the business of art. Fortunately, I also am intrigued by managing and marketing. My generation was not raised with social media, but I enjoy it. There are pros and cons about any career, and one must carefully select positive and fresh approaches.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Today, I am known for my color-intense palette and loose brushstrokes. I am most proud of my paintings, both figurative and landscape. What sets me apart is decades of practice. When someone asks, “How long did it take you?” my answers is, “Decades.” Skill is important; practice is crucial. I do not remember a time without pencils or paintbrushes in my hands. Talent exists, but without practice, no matter what form of art you pursue, you will not progress.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you.
I have been extremely fortunate in growing up in an environment which nurtured art and provided opportunities. My serendipitous move to the Joshua Tree area, when I began to teach, was a stroke of luck. The art community has taken years to develop, but I have been here long enough to see it evolve and feel a vital part of the community. There are many fine artists here, and our intertwining roots nurture growth and creativity. Twenty years ago, we moved into a home which backs up to an open grove of Joshua Trees. I am inspired daily by the natural landscape.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.janiscommentz.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janiscommentz
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Janis-Commentz-Artist-396062120461462
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janis-commentz-24a9b033?
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/janisjtartist
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4B84hUf_aybphawObaxJSA
- Other: Substack https://substack.com/@janiscommentz2 Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ArtbyJanisCommentz
Image Credits
Krystal Kenney
Stacey Dilley
