Conversing With the Dead

Painters often have a stash of failed experiments, work that doesn’t fit with their creative path, and things that are not good enough. Some paint over them, some destroy them, some simply stash them away for later decisions. In 2018 Janet Rosen was offered the opportunity to recycle such a cache of paintings done by a local artist who had died. Janet gessoed over most of these canvases and passed them along to artists who had lost studios and supplies in the 2017 Redwood Valley-Potter Valley fire.

Some of the canvases were too heavily textured to be easily reused, so with the widower’s gracious permission Janet began to work directly on these pieces. So began a collaborative process, responding in the moment to the marks, colors, and textures.

This has been a challenging project; it requires a vulnerable openness of spirit and a willingness to simply be present. In common with all Janet’s work, it is intended to allow each viewer to enter and wander, finding their own narrative.

Dedicated to the work and memory of Holly Cratty, with a heartfelt thank you to Scott Cratty.