Janet Mishner Art
Janet Mishner specializes in large contemporary abstract paintings. She paints in series, evoking feelings, the way an author writes a book of short stories. Each of her series is a theme that she chooses to explore, and the paintings are those stories within the “novel.”
Janet considers her paintings to be visual metaphors. She paints both figuratively and abstractly, and the common theme in all of her work is that inspiration comes from her ideas, not from direct observation. She begins her work spontaneously with a vague idea. From there, she looks to the canvas to direct her. The final phase in her process is to be the “editor” of the painting to ensure that it works as a composition.
SHEEP: A METAPHOR: A SERIES
Janet traveled to Ireland, Australia and New Zealand that inspired a love of rolling hills and vast landscapes. Along with magnificent countrysides in those countries, the sheep were an integral part of the beauty. While taking numerous photographs, Janet wanted to use them in her abstract compositions. She found many opportunities for metaphor using her subjects.
COASTLINE
Sarasota and environs provide an abundance of inspiration for painters. Driving from St Armands on the bridge, Janet has long admired the beauty of the coastline. It has also provided her with a way to use her originally created stencils. All but one of her series have sold, but she is not finished this enjoyable and challenging endeavor. Hiring a captain to take her out into the gulf, Janet took a number of photographs of the coastline to use as inspiration. All but the “Morning Coastline” painting have been sold, and she has been newly inspired to continue the series using her photographs.
ON AND OFF THE GRID PAINTINGS
“On and Off the Grid” is a series initially inspired by the perimeters of isolation necessitated by the pandemic and the nature of human need for connection, two conflicting ideas. As the pandemic continued, Janet’s interest in grids that represent boundaries and her enjoyment of obliterating them in some way with lines, mark making and shapes, she has continued this series and renamed it from its original “Connection v Isolation.”
Janet is enjoying this self-imposed “rule” followed by playful subversion. Sometime in her childhood, she enjoyed the mischievousness of doing something “bad” while no one was looking. The grid still represents the boundary (parental limits) while the obliteration is the chance to ignore or rebel against them sometimes. As her mentor, Gladys Goldstein said many times, “Just have fun!”
ABSTRACT PAINTINGS
2019 Series: Florida’s Skies. A series of abstract paintings originating in 2019 have been inspired by the skies over Florida’s Suncoast. Janet has observed varying patterns of vertical shadows in the distance, indicating rain, a coming storm. She has been enthralled by the many views of the water in the gulf. Janet cannot hope to emulate any of nature’s magnificence. These paintings are an attempt to represent what she feels, not what she sees. She hopes that these emotions expressed will resonate with the viewer in some way.
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2017 – “Red Bird & Friends” Solo Exibition, Art Uptown Gallery, Sarasota FL
2015 – Solo Exhibition, Players Theatre Gallery, Sarasota
2014 – Selby Gallery Room, Women’s Resource Center, Sarasota
2013 – Soma Creekside, Dancing Crane Gallery of Fine Art
2006 – Harmony Art Gallery – Florida West Coast Symphony, Sarasota, FL
2005 – Venice Women’s Resource Center, Venice, FL
2003 – Hagan’s Gallery and Framing, Lakewood Ranch, FL
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2022
- Women Contemporary Artists Juried Spring Exhibition, Ringling College of Art, Stuhlberg Gallery
- Petticoat Painters Spring Exhibition, Ringling College of Art, Willis Smith Gallery
2019
- Florida’s Finest Annual Juried Exhibition, Art Center Sarasota, FL
- 3FOR3, Three Artists Pop-up Exhibition at Henry Ford Art and Antiques, Sarasota, FL
- INTRO 2, Juried Exhibition at Gaze Modern Gallery, Sarasota FL
- Florida Artists Group 67thAnnual Juried Symposium Exhibition, Sarasota FL
2018
- Big Arts, Sanibel Island, FL
- Petticoat Painters Exhibition at RIngling College of Art
- Art Center Sarasota, Juried Exhibition
- Women Contemporary Artists Winter Juried Exhibition
2017
- Numerous juried exhibitions at Artcenter Sarasota, Selby Gallery Exhibition of Petticoat Painters
- WCA Fall and Spring Exhibitions
2016
- BLURRED LINES, Art Center Sarasota, Juried Exhibition, *Honorable Mention Award
- Florida Artists Group, 66thAnnual Symposium and Exhibition, Center for the Arts, Bonita Springs, FL
- Women Contemporary Artists, Juried Spring Exibition, Art & Frame Gallery, Sarasota, FL
CORPORATE AND PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
- United States Embassy in Manilla
- Florida Cancer Specialists, Lakewood Ranch, FL
- Kaizen Total Wellness Center, Lakewood Ranch, FL
- Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, Lakewood Ranch, FL
- Goldberg Rosenstein Khan and Forman, MD PA, Baltimore, MD
*A full list of previous solo and group exhibitions and awards available upon request.
Currently, you can see Janet’s paintings on her website:
Studio Address:
Northgate Business Park
1748 Independence Blvd
Sarasota, Florida 34234
941-224-3257
You can also see Janet Mishner paintings at The Edit/Copenhagen Imports on S. Palm Ave. in downtown Sarasota.
Website: