Today I'm posting a short film I made some years ago about the artist
Janet Cumbrae Stewart
I discovered the work of this remarkable woman whom I had never heard of before I saw one of her works at an exhibition in Bendigo. That work is not included in my video because I could not find a representation of it on the net.
But it was a stunner, it really bowled me over. And although I call it a "painting" it was not an oil or a watercolour, it was created in pastel on card.
That is also the case for most if not all of the works in my video. But the day I saw it, it stood between a very fine Streeton and a wonderful Dobell where it took my breath away.
All the qualities I saw in that image that day are also present in this particular "painting" copied from the net.
I've always been astonished by the lack of attention given to our women artists despite the exceptional quality of their work.
Here's information about Janet's life from Wikipedia for those who want some background notes.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janet_Cumbrae_Stewart
I think my keen interest in her work is two-fold: first I feel her female nudes are very different in nature from nude females I saw drawn or painted by men as I grew up. There is quite a different quality of celebration or enjoyment of the female form.
The second part is in the texture which is created by the use of pastels on board which has an exquisite delicacy, very different from oils. Also that the flesh of each sitter is contrasted with the material such as a scarf or curtain nearby. Both express delicacy, fragility and impermanence.
I know from some searching that Janet did not only paint female nudes, and I had the good luck to see one of her streetscapes at Duneira in Mt. Macedon a few years ago.
I've shared this video with a couple of people lately and then I thought, "Why not put it out on the blog!"
I hope you are all as drawn to Janet's work as I am.
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