POP-UP: Jan Gendron

JAN GENDRON

A VISUAL JOURNEY 1968-2026

LANDSCAPES  PORTRAITURE FIGURATIVE WORKS

ALSO WORKS BY FAMILY MEMBERS: LISA FRAWLEY GENDRON, JOSEPH GENDRON, MARIA GENDRON

OPENING RECEPTION JULY 24: 5:30-7:30

GALLERY VIEWING: SATURDAY JULY 25: 2:00-5:00

SUNDAY JULY 26: 12:OO- 4:00

SATURDAY AUGUST 1, 2:00-4:00

SUNDAY AUGUST 2, 12:OO-4:00

JAN GENDRON: A VISUAL JOURNEY 1968-2026

In this solo exhibit, I hope to show my love of painting as well as inspiring others to make the same journey. The art of painting, like other art forms, such as music, dance, poetry, starts with learning the craft. Then the journey begins. The beauty of nature inspires me to do landscapes. In 1970, I studied with Henry Henche in Provincetown, Massachusetts, who was well known as an impressionist landscape painter. It was there that I began my education. Now, in some landscapes, I do some story telling, which is a departure from pure impressionism. After some time of working from nature, I have developed a large vocabulary of outdoor effects. This is evident in my sunset series. My next opportunity came in Boston, in 1971, at Fenway Studios, where I studied with. Robert Cormier, Ives Gammell, and Robert Hunter. They were portrait and figurative painters, primarily, and specialized in classical academic technique. I was a student there for about seven years, and eventually did some apprentice work for Ives Gammell. My interest shifted more towards portrait and figurative work at this time because of the great challenge it produced, and the diversity in subject matter. Around the early 70s I would go to the ballet and sketch the dancers to become accustomed to drawing figures in motion, and fell in love with that art form. I even took ballet classes myself to learn about what muscles were being used. Because of a bad arch in my foot I was not able to pursue that career, but for many years I continue to paint pictures of that beautiful art form. Portrait painting is an encounter between the sitter and the artist. I prefer to work from life, as opposed to working from photographs. There are subtleties, accents, details left out, and slight distortions, in paint, that animate the subject, and that make it an encounter for the person viewing it. Figurative painting, for me, is the most challenging and satisfying. My deepest thoughts and beliefs, come out in this subject matter. Ives Gammell, who was one of my instructors, was primarily a figurative painter. He concentrated on psychological subject matter, influenced by the writings of Carl Jung. I have read books by Carl Jung and created figurative works as well, concentrating on the personality types and archetypes. Other figurative works deal with spiritual, social, and environmental issues.

I hope this has been helpful as you view my visual journey. Enjoy!