Janis Druian

Artist's Statement

I have the privilege of living in the high desert of Central Oregon. This is an area of vast horizons, beautiful mountains, and centuries old junipers. I am inspired by the world I see from my cliff above the Deschutes River. My goal is to create paintings that depict the sense of place that is more than just an accurate rendering. I try to capture and portray the drama of clouds, the backlit sky of dawn or dusk and the feelings that this dramatic area can evoke.

Personally I am drawn to the artists of the early part of the last century-Maynard Dixon, Francis McComas, William Wendt and Mary DeNeale Morgan. These artists captured a time and place and a tranquility that may be missing from this century. When I am in the high desert I see the land as it has been for centuries-vast, quiet, beyond the noise and congestion of our hurried world. It is this feeling that I want people to experience when viewing my work.