Janette ARNOLD-COLLINS

Please visit my recent endeavour

Hi and welcome to my website..it has been a work in progress intellectually for some time now but as a less knowledgeable computer-user it has always been a bit daunting….now thanks to the encouragement of my husband and the very generous offer to create it by Steven Donnet (who has put lots of time, energy and patience into its evolution) I think I can safely say …here we are!!

I have enjoyed creating through a variety of mediums throughout my life..my work often orientates around a craft base as I am very tactile….. I have participated in markets in both South Australia and Victoria and seen much of my work sold to visitors from overseas. I have worked as an ‘Artist in Residence’ in rural South Australia through the Carclew Art Center’s, Artists in Residence program and also had the opportunity to be involved in many projects in-house while I worked as an SSO for 3 schools in the Mid-North of South Australia. I always thoroughly enjoyed working with students as they taught me as much as I taught them in many ways..and I have been very fortunate to work with encouraging staff who were always enthusiastic about my creativity and how we could use it to benefit the schools. As part of my desire to expand upon my knowledge I completed my Diploma of Visual Art and Craft in 2008 . This was certainly a worthwhile journey as the skills I have learnt and am continuing to refine have lead me in directions I have only imagined…..including being accepted as a participant in the prestigious Victorian Hidden Face of the Archibald …something that I am very proud of.

I have discovered how much I enjoy painting and its versatility, soft pastels feel beautiful upon the paper and sculpting has a whole new meaning…. it’s potential to convey messages is mind-blowing..

My current work explores the layers of the Gaia -our changing and fragile Earth, as an emotional, spiritual and intellectual entity. In my work I try to present the complexity of human relationships to the Earth and all the creatures who live upon it.
My focuses are in creating a visual narrative that often combines movement and colour in my design and composition, both decorative and traditional. I explore our perception of an idea by presenting it in human form and emotional response.

“My images explore the human condition, emotionally, socially, politically and as a metaphor for our understanding of traditional concepts and beliefs.”

All Artists are on a personal journey, mine revolves around exploring who I am, as a female, a mother, a nurturer and also its about my understanding of my place and responsibility in this world..I hope my work and dialogue will encourage people to embrace change and consider how they can live and share compatibly, this beautiful planet, with all the species who call it home. I hope you will be inspired to participate in the healing of our world and all those in it.

My journey has been enhanced by the words of Deepak Chopra, Louise Hay, Maya Angelou, and many others. Also the soul-awakening research and experiences shared by Katy Payne, Cynthia Moss, Tammy Matson, Carol Buckley, Lawrence Anthony and Marc Bekoff…….all striving to awaken humanities heart and mind to approaching life with compassion for all animals. I admire and support the on going and urgent preservation and protection of the elephants both domesticated and wild……the protection and rehabilitation of the abused, orphaned or captive orangutans who face the constant and brutal loss of life and habitat due to the ongoing destruction of their home forests for palm oil and illegal timber, the primates that are subject to the same slaughter and the whales whose right it is to be safe and alive within their own environment. It is multi layered and global and we need to help in anyway we can…..even down to our choices as consumers….

I have become aware that we can change the world, for the better, through how we think and how we act, that there are many people globally working to sustain both human and non-human life equally and as co-habitants not commodities. I would really like to be part of the solution…..and I hope with the links that I am posting on my site you will be inspired to see for yourself how you can help.

ALL the profits from the sales of my work go directly to the sanctuaries and groups that are making a difference every day in a variety of ways….from campaigning to stop the cruel training of animals in circuses, to freeing bears from bile farms; change laws that will prevent the use of animals in laboratory testing and buy land to offer sanctuary to animals such as the beautiful wombat and to effect change as far a field as retirement for old elephants in Thailand, Nepal, America and Cambodia….

The work for animals is immense and does not negate any desire or intent to end human suffering as we are all connected through so many layers with everything upon this Earth…..not so far from the concept of the world of Pandora (‘Avatar’) but better… still thoughts do inspire the growth of compassion which will envelope all species..

Thank you for buying my work and know that in doing so you to are contributing the improvement of life and environment of an animal somewhere.

Namaste