Janice Mason Steeves

Safe Home  42x42" oil/cold wax on panel © 2012 Janice Mason Steeves I am back in the land of the healed!  My arm is out of the cast, my right foot is almost better-whatever was wrong with it, no one still knows-and my eye is totally better.  Hallelujah.  It's been quite a winter.  I haven't been back into the studio yet.  The wrist is so weak and vulnerable still.  But soon.  After a bit of physiotherapy. Meanwhile, I am still getting lots of prep work done for my classes and having interesting email conversations with other artists. Today I received an email from an artist friend in Winnipeg who asked a group of us, "What effect does narrative have on an image?"  He wondered about the value or importance of text to support an image, such as an artist's statement or even a title.    I wrote back to say that  I have found that writing adds another dimension to my work.  My painting is totally intuitive and process-dependent.  So until I be

Stormy Seas   50x40"   oil/cold wax on panel © Janice Mason Steeves 2012 I've had to cancel my show in Vancouver that was scheduled to open on April 28th.  Not only is my arm still too painful to use it even in a supporting role, but I seem to have also developed some other ailments, including a so-far undiagnosed painful and swollen foot.  And as well, an infected eye.  I almost laughed when the eye became infected,  What more could go wrong?  A friend wrote to say that we're like old cars, you just get the door replaced and the bumper falls off! One hilarious thing happened last week.  I was taking a short walk with my daughter and my puppy when a couple of  large Golden Retrievers ran up to us.  Both dogs promptly sat at my feet, looking up expectantly at my broken arm, and panting.  I have developed this odd way of holding my arm to keep it elevated, where I bend it at the elbow, fingers facing forward and sort of flopped down over the cast.  The arm sits ther