Over the years, Janice Druian has worked with some of the best contemporary plein air painters including John Poon, Richard McKinley, Ken Auster, Morgan Samuel Price, Bob Rohm and friend and mentor Jean LeGassick.
“Plein air work helps me get a sense of the atmosphere I want to achieve in my artwork,” says Druian. “I balance working on location with studio time where I use photos for reference. This way, I can truly capture the spatial relationships and light I desire.”
Although her paintings speak for themselves, Druian shared her process, as well as inspiration for some her featured work. Her painting Cliff on the Deschutes is a great representation of her love for Central Oregon.
“I have the privilege of living in the high desert. To me, Harney County is heaven. From my windows I look down upon the wild and scenic Deschutes River. Our panoramic view includes the Cascade mountains to the west, and the Ochoco mountains to the east. I am constantly surrounded by natural beauty, and this inspires me constantly,” Druian explains.
The Gate was Open takes similar, nature-based inspirations and truly utilizes her collaborative artistic process. For this piece, she used direct photo references from photographer John Simpkins. “The lighting expresses a beautiful tranquility, and I am grateful to build on the wonderful work of Simpkins,” Druian adds. Klamath Beauty is another example of collaborative work with other local artists. “Vicki Shuck and I worked together for years on a project titled Uncommon Beauty. Our goal was to document the beauty in today’s west. Some artists romanticize the west…a past that may or may not have existed,” Druian states. “But Vicki, whose family has farmed in the Klamath region for generations, and I whose family came in overland from the east to California in 1852 both think the remote areas are beautiful and the people who work to sustain these areas are beautiful, too.”
Druian speaks highly of the artists she has had the opportunity to work with and learn from. “Inspired by the work of others and living in a beautiful part of the west, I am surrounded by the beauty I want to honor through my painting. As for Vicki Shuck, Jean Legassick and John Simpkins, I am indebted to these fine artists and to Billye Turner and Susie Higdon who have been great supporters of my work.”
The enthusiasm Druian has for painting is not likely to fade any time soon. Her landscapes speak to the Central Oregon community who are just as inspired by these beautiful surroundings. “I pursue a visual life that is surrounded only by the vast horizons, tumultuous skies and soul replenishing solitude of the remote west. This vision, and the beautiful reality of my corner of the west allows me to paint and fuels my enthusiasm for painting.”
Druian’s work will be featured at Tumalo Art Company through February.
www.druianstudios.com