Environmental Art
by Janel Houton Artist Statement I am drawn to the natural world as a source of joy, inspiration and consolation, which I believe speaks beyond language and culture, universally, to all of the earth’s living beings. Also, I know as a student of Buddhism that compassion is central to so much of one’s relationship with one’s self and to all of life, including the Earth. |
Sugar Maple Die-off
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Dragonfly
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“Sugar-Maple Die-off,” “Dragonfly,” and “Bog Turtle” are the first of a group of paintings I am working on based on climate change. An article in the Boston Globe on the current and future impact of global warming on New England’s native species foretold a potential die-off of Sugar Maple trees within a hundred years. These trees with their brilliant shades of red in fall are iconic to New England. Reading this motivated me to do a series of artwork based on regionally endangered and threatened species that include text from articles and reports related to each subject.
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I think that while every human being struggles to come to terms with mortality, the potential and actual extinction of a species brings a much more profound sense of ending and loss. To me, language falls short in successfully communicating this loss. Each of us lives one single lifetime, so how can we even comprehend the end of an entire species, some of which have been around for tens of millions of years? While this is challenging to process, I am still hopeful that people will realize that each one of us can make individual choices and actions that can positively impact these scenarios, and that the use of renewable energy sources, activism as well as daily consumption choices, can help change the outcome, especially on the larger scale.
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Bog Turtle
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Janel Houton is an artist from Beverly, Massachusetts who paints and draws natural landscapes and animal themes on canvas and paper using a variety of wet and dry media. Following her study of Art History and Historic Preservation—and nearly ten years living and working in Japan—she studied studio art at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts School. Prior academic and career interests, including 19th century American History, Landscape Architecture, Art History, and Japan, as well as Buddhism, provide themes and subject matter in her art. She also explores the complex relationship between humans and history, nature and the environment. A member of The Artists Group of Charlestown, the Newburyport Art Association, and the National Society of Painters in Casein and Acrylic, Janel has been exhibiting in the Boston area and nationally since 2010.