Another new member emerges blinking from the shadows!

Janet Kimantas · 06-05-2005, 12:18 PM

Okay, I confess, I've been hanging around anonymously for months. I can honestly say that finding this site has been life-changing, and I'm not often given to superlatives. You are all such a talented, generous, sincere group of people. What a find for me.

Although I studied studio (fine) art at the Ontario College of Art and the University of Guelph, my predominant livelihood over the last twenty-some-odd years has been commercial art: graphic design, illustration and stained glass design and fabrication. I decided a couple of years ago that I needed to change careers and after a huge amount of thought and research I realized that my only choice of a second career is my choice of a first one! To that end I have been painting evenings and weekends as much as possible with the intention of weaning myself of full time employment. Oooooh I can't wait.

The following pictures (of dubious quality) are from old school photos of my son and daughter, a professionally taken shot I used at work of a sweet little girl and a painting mostly from life of my honey. Thanks for letting me be part of this. And thanks especially to Cynthia.

Allan Rahbek · 06-05-2005, 12:58 PM

Welcome to the forum Janet,

Today you made the most important decision about painting - to just do it !

The rest is practice, frustrations, practice, values, practice, reference, practice, comments, practice, art critics, practice, marketing, practice, confusion, practice, some success, practice.

You just count and see what is most important, welcome.

Allan

Janet Kimantas · 06-05-2005, 02:46 PM

Hi Allan, thanks for the welcome.

For what it's worth, I was in Denmark (Copenhagen) 25 years ago. It was part of my hitch-hike-across-Europe trip. What was I thinking? Lovely country, however.

Yeah, I think I get it about the practice. I feel like I will never be where I should be or want to be. And it's so intimidating to see the amount and depth of talent out there. I'm 44, I've been making art since I was 3 or 4, entered art school at 16 and been a professional ever since and yet I see people 10 and 20 years younger than myself with skill and insight to burn. It's a midlife eye-opener. I don't see how rocket science could be more difficult than this is.

Cheers.

Michele Rushworth · 06-05-2005, 03:07 PM

Hi Janet. You and I might have been at the Ontario College of Art at the same time. I was in the Queen's University BFA program for a while (waste of time!) and transferred to OCA in 1978. Welcome to a fellow OCA alumnus!

Janet Kimantas · 06-05-2005, 03:26 PM

Michele!

Ohgoodgrief.

First of all let me say how much I admire your work (a lot, actually), and your contributions to this forum. I really, really admire your work,

I was at OCA (OCAD now I suppose), 1977-1979. So in '78 I would have been in second year fine arts. Were you there? Did you spend much time in Toronto? Did you have any experience with the Toronto School of Art or the New School? Does a Canadian have to move to the US to succeed? I would move to Seattle in a heartbeat, or anywhere from the north Vancouver Island to the Oregon Coast. You guys have great gardening weather. Yikes, this is so exciting. I may have to go lie down with a cold cloth on my forehead.

Janet

Linda Brandon · 06-05-2005, 03:53 PM

Hi Janet and Welcome!

I have an Ontario connection too; I think I am related to everybody in Ariss. This fact makes me want to lie down with a cold cloth across my forehead. [Just kidding, I just thought it was funny.] I really like your work and look forward to seeing more!

Michele Rushworth · 06-05-2005, 03:56 PM

Sounds like we were definitely at OCA at the same time. I was there from 1978 to 1980 doing everything from illustration to hot glass. I lived two blocks north of the school in a funky apartment in Chinatown.

I was born and raised in Toronto (Mississauga, etc) and moved to the States in 1982. (I got a job in Florida to escape Toronto's winters!) I worked in graphic design for many years too, doing fine art on the side. My ex was a designer at McLean's Magazine and at the Toronto Star.

I'm not familiar with the other schools you mention, though I wish the John Michael Angel Academy had been in existence when I was there.

I don't know what the portrait market is like in Canada but I think there's got to be enough money and cultural appreciation in Toronto for you to be able to make a good go of it.

Janet Kimantas · 06-05-2005, 04:16 PM

Hi Linda,

I greatly admire your work also and have followed your posts and referenced your website for months. Related to the entire population of a small town in Southwestern Ontario, hmmm? That's not uncommon around here; Brandon must be your married name? Don't tell me you're a Brubacher or a Martin!

Hey Michele,

I am going to look into the Angel Academy also. A year ago-ish I re-applied to the studio art program at U of Guelph (I left in fourth year), but came to the conclusion that it might just be a waste of time and money, as you found at Queen's. I think the art market in Canada is very backward in many ways, but there is a TON of money in Waterloo area and I am cautiously optimistic. About 10 years ago I did a booming trade in pet portraits and was regularly asked to do people, too. They were all cheap and though the pets were good, the humans were very second rate. I'm not going there again, I want to produce the caliber of work that I see coming from people such as yourselves and the many others I have seen here and elsewhere.

Thanks to both of you for your warm welcomes.

Sharon Knettell · 06-09-2005, 03:32 PM

Hi,

I am from New England, (R. I.) one of the closest Forum members to Canada, who lives in Seattle. I find I get most of my work done in the winter when nobody wants to get out. With the weather you get in Canada, you must be really productive.

Welcome to the Forum, I am looking forward to your participatipn.

Janet Kimantas · 06-09-2005, 08:27 PM

Hi Sharon,

I love your work. Thanks for your welcome. I looked up Rhode Island in my atlas and you don't look too terribly south of me. I suspect you don't get the nasty cold, but how is your daylight in the winter? I have not got a reasonable artificial light system in place (all suggestions welcome) and in the worst months there is no useful light before 9 in the morning or after 3:30 in the afternoon. So no, ain't that productive in winter. That being said, there is no light quite like winter light. You gotta love it!