Janet McGuinness
I use acrylic paints, often diluted with water, to create abstract images that suggest elements of the environment.
Colour is the defining characteristic of my work. It provides a starting point for every painting that I create. Whenever I go to a new place I'm always aware of itspalette and I incorporate it into my work. Thus, some of my paintings are created from the palette of a single place while others might combine elements from very different parts of the world, including the wild, west coast of Ireland, the red centre of Australia, or the sun-soaked Mexican Caribbean.
The interwoven threads of exotic textiles also inspire me, and this is reflected in the way I apply paint. My approach of layering liquid “threads” of colour one over another until the canvas 'holds hands' is similar to weaving.
In my work I explore the relationship between the free flowing quality of paint and the tension of a loose grid. A free handed grid contrasted with sharp lines provides both structure and a thoughtful, handmade quality while still enabling me to celebrate the natural properties of liquid paint. This, and other interests such as colour palettes, line and depth are all recurring themes in the work.
By being attentive to the basic properties of the paint such as it’s translucent nature, the way it spills, pools, and flows I pay tribute to centered observation and the beauty of the ordinary.