The Keeper of Light, The Alchemist & The Artist
Teeming with life, Janet and her paintings lit up the studio the moment they entered. Three lovely faces and six inquisitive, wise eyes stared back at me during Janet's Personal Branding session. I had the honor of photographing not only Janet but two of her paintings - The Keeper of Light and The Alchemist.
So starkly different, yet in balanced resonance with each other, the colors and textures on the canvas reflected the depth and vibrance of Janet and her creativity. I couldn't help but we swept up in that same creative current. That flow of creativity is one of the most magnetic aspects about Janet. She draws you into her joy, her evocative stories and her warmth. Everything she says is accompanied with a playful chuckle or a ponderous thought. It's like she's lived 1,000 ages and her familiarity with herself has provided her the gift of seeing the world in living colors that she turns and spreads across you as if you were a parched canvas to be quenched by absorbing the pigments. There's a constant balance of peacefulness and bustling in the room when you're with Janet, and it's splendid.
“You can’t paint and not expect to get messy”
I have the pleasure of knowing Janet as a creator but I also have the honor of knowing her as a sister. Firmly founded in the importance of community, Janet is constantly helping her sisters where she can. She lives a life of generosity; She is a strong supporter of local businesses; She is building a collaborative arts community; You can also find her lending a helping hand with community events and local workshops.
Rooted in her beliefs of creating art from intention, Janet is also a teacher. She not only creates her own work but provides people the opportunity to hone in on their own intentions and inspire creativity from them. One of the workshops through which she employs this foundation is her Cosmic Smash Booking Workshop. "Cosmic Smash Booking is a mash-up between art journaling and Intentional Creativity™. As you play at transforming an ordinary composition book into an intuitively-created work of art, you’ll have the opportunity to experience simple and powerful mindfulness-meditation techniques. Through this creative process you will be guided to access information about yourself from a soul-level so you may gain new insights, see new solutions and possibilities, and offer yourself healing and wisdom." (Cosmic Smash Booking and Mindfulness Magic Workshop with Janet Holmes and Cheryl Schirillo - Cheryl Schirillo)
Every time I look at Janet's sample Smash Book, I am inspired. It's full of quotes, personal stories, clever magazine clippings, and colorful painted illustration all gelled together with such meaning. It's almost like a diary of sorts, like I'm holding a piece of Janet's lifetime in my hands. It is beautifully personal and full of strength.
I'm always fond of sharing space with Janet, enjoying her warmth and creativity. She's one of those people everyone should have in their life yet not everyone is lucky enough to encounter. Looking back at the portraits of Janet, The Keeper of the Light and The Alchemist, I smile and am thankful I know her.
To learn more about Janet, her work and her workshops follow Janet on Facebook.
To see when the next Cosmic Smash Booking workshop hosted at Jasper & Fern is, view our Community calendar, sign up for our monthly newsletter and join our Facebook Community.
You may also be interested in …