New at Gallery A3: Expressions from Nature, Past and Present by Janet W. Winston

Source: Gallery A3

In Expressions from Nature, Past and Present, paintings by Janet W. Winston offer interpretations of landscapes of the Middle East, the American South West, and her local New England surroundings. The exhibit opens at Gallery A3 on November 2 with an opening reception at the gallery from 5-7 p.m and runs through December 2. There will be a free Art Forum Online on November 16, at 7:30 p.m. Both events are free and open to the public. Register for the Art forum here. Gallery A3 is located at 28 Amity Street 1D. Gallery hours are Thursday through Sunday, 2-7 p.m.

Janet W. Winston
The play of light, shadow, and space along with Winston’s characteristic use of harmonious colors, shapes, and gestural strokes unite all the paintings as they lean towards abstraction that expresses the artist’s emotions.

Having visited the Middle East many times, starting at age 19, Winston began painting the region’s flat valleys and distant mountain ranges. “The climate, the scorching sunlight, the contrasting dark shadows, and the bleached colors of the area were dramatically different from New England landscapes, and I was drawn to explore this palette and topography,” she explains. Concern over the land struggles between Israel and the Palestinian people were also  inherent in her inspiration and impressions. The paintings started with representation of distinct areas but eventually evolved into abstractions of the landscape. 

Vistas of the American South West have been another inspiration for Winston over the years. “At a young age, I visited the South West with my family and I was completely enchanted with Santa Fe, New Mexico, the Spanish-style stucco homes, the mountains and the sunsets,” she says. The intense sunlight and deep shadow in this landscape, she notes, are similar to the intense light and the dry mountain ranges of Israel, and contrast to the far more vivid color and lush foliage of the nature she views in New England. “I try to capture the spirit of each of these vistas through my signature use of color,” Winston explains.  

Art Forum Online
In an Art Forum Online on Thursday, Winston will discuss her work, looking at different series she has explored over the years. See the gallery website www.gallerya3.com to register for this online event, which is free and open to the public. This Art in Community outreach program is supported in part by grants from the Amherst Cultural Council, Pelham Cultural Council, and Springfield Cultural Council, all local agencies, which are supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

About Gallery A3
Gallery A3 is a contemporary, fine art gallery in the Cinema Complex in downtown Amherst, Massachusetts. Members of the artist-run cooperative include painters, sculptors, photographers, printmakers, and mixed media artists.

Gallery A3 was founded in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on 9/11. A group of local artists believed art to be essential to the health and healing of a community and began the gallery as a place to share ideas and artistic support. Since that time, the gallery has been home to over 60 artists and is now celebrating 21 years of monthly shows with monthly openings and forums, all free and open to the public, and an annual juried show that supports regional artists.