Inspired by her mother, Ethel K. Goldblatt, an accomplished sculptor, watercolorist, and charter member of the Northeast Watercolor Society, Janis has returned "full-steam" to her artistic passion and has been painting full time since 2010 foraying from a practice in Psychology to "professional artist" status. "I love the process of creating in watercolor and always attempt to infuse a subjective response, sensitivity, and an emotional/expressionistic quality to my work, while respecting the amazing nature of the translucent and liquid pigment."
She has also delved into other media in the recent past 4 years and has focused on creating abstractions and non-representational work that is conceptual and based on existential philosophical expression through the use of watercolor, gouache, acrylic, mixed media and oil. She recently has received numerous awards for such work including 1st place for "Lost And Found" - acrylic on canvas.
After selling her first watercolor in a high school art exhibit, Janis has been "hooked" by the creative process intrinsic to making art. She earned a minor in art at SUNY Plattsburgh and continued her studies over the years at Rocky Mt. School of Art with Phil Steele, Life drawing classes through formal and informal study, the University of N. Colorado while pursuing her doctorate in psychology, and through professional workshops with such notable artists as Tom Owen, Frank Frances, Skip Lawrence, Sterling Edwards, and Mark Mehaffey. She is also significantly influenced by John Pike and Zoltan Szabo especially with regard to atmospheric landscape paintings, as she responds to the incredible awesome-ness of nature.
