a San Diego art  studio

Janice Schoultz Mudd is a St. Louis based mixed media painting and collage artist whose award winning work has been exhibited in regional, national and international competitions. A native of New Jersey and long time resident of Westchester County, NY, Janice is a graduate from the schools of interior design and architecture at Pratt Institute. She uses the design skills honed in those fields to craft the 2-dimensional works of art that became her renewed area of focus in the year 2000. 

Mixed media painting and collage, interfacing abstracted landscape-based exploration with definable imagery is my vehicle for visually weaving the connective tissue of contemporary man to the ancient world. Google Earth and the Hubble Space Telescope provide 21st Century inspiration. The influence of scientific advancements and recorded knowledge us gives me historical perspective. In the end, my work reflects the awe with which I look at this amazing world God has given us to live in. 

I have always been intrigued by maps – ancient and contemporary. They provide a window into the world at a particular place and time. My first flight in a single engine airplane, low over the Long Island sound was a seminal experience in my artistic vision. What I saw was the map-like coastline of Connecticut plus clusters of buildings indicating settlement patterns, dense wooded areas, harbors, and boats sailing on the white capped water. This, and my introduction to Google Earth, has informed many of my satellite view inspired paintings.

Reflected in these abstractions are my many years as an architect and designer. I spent a lot of time drawing buildings in plan, section and elevation. This required an ability to visualize imaginary space in 3D. Paintings showing a land or sea surface rolling into a sectional delineation or an aerial view interfacing with straight-on imagery are previously honed abilities used as a point of departure for reshaping my interpretation of landscape art.

Copious layers of color and abundant texture from many sources are the art tools I use. I most often begin with a schematic thumbnail sketch to establish the painting’s direction and design. Following a base coat of acrylic paint, I purposefully add textured areas to the canvas, then proceed to really paint, mixing all my colors on the palette as I go. As one who loves to experiment, I am always curious as to what result I will end up with when trying something new. Altered found-objects, cut paper, threads, metals, textured paper, acrylic mediums, and scraffito are some of the elements I use to incorporate textural elements once the base painting is finished. Some are evident for their own distinct visual statement, while others are used for a textural purpose only. “I wonder what will happen if…”, is the thread that runs through my brain each time I encounter new problems and possibilities. 

The end result is a luminous canvas that attracts the eye from a distance, then encourages the viewer to step closer and experience the painting on more intimate levels.