In residence: July 11 – September 8, 2021
“I am dedicating this exhibit to my dear friend Martha Hansen with gratitude. Marty was a naturalist who introduced me to the ferns, plants, birds, and other wild life of my natural environment here in Lincoln, Vermont.”—Janet Fredericks
LICM concludes its A Community of Artists series with Vermont-based artist Janet Fredericks and her exhibit “Water, Plants, and Insects.”
Janet Fredericks is an amateur naturalist who slows down and gets very quiet to observe water, plants and insects in her natural environment of rural Vermont. This trait allows her to see the interconnectedness in nature. “The more I look, the more I understand, and the more deeply I care about them so that I want to take care of them.”
The New Haven River is a major inspiration for Janet's water drawings.
In her water drawings, we learn that patterns demonstrate how water flows through the landscape as well as through our bodies, and its importance to our communities.
Janet explores plant and insect life in drawings and collages to help us appreciate our natural environment so that we will protect our natural resources.
Artist in Residency
Sunday, July 11 at 11 a.m. and Tuesday, July 13 through Thursday, July 15 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
NEA Artist in Residence Janet Fredericks will lead this workshop in discovering the magic of water. Have you ever wondered why water is important? Or looked at the ocean or a stream and thought it was beautiful? Join Janet in exploring the beauty and importance of water. Experience drawing underwater as you capture the patterns, reflections and shadows in the wonder we call water! See calendar for tickets.
Janet’s Inspirations
When Janet was asked what inspires her, she had a list of natural elements at her fingertips: “the New Haven River, a mountain stream running through my community: the woodland and stream, a beaver pond behind her home; the large Allegheny Mound Ant colonies near her home, and birds…dawn chorus, bird vocalizations, nesting, and other bird behavior.”
Can you find these influences in the artwork she has shared with us? Has anything inspired you when your draw?
Janet’s artwork focus on the images we can see in nature. She challenges us to look and listen to the images and sounds right outside our door.
Parent Resources
Some books of interest on water and insects:
The Holy Order of Water: Healing Earth’s Waters and Ourselves
by William E. Marks, 2001 (Bell Pond Books)
Sensitive Chaos: The Creation of Flowing Forms in Water and Air
by Theodor Schwenk, 1996 (Rudolf Steiner Press)
Understanding Water: Developments from the Work of Theodor Schwenk
by Wilkens, Jacobi, and Schwenk, 2005,(Floris Books, Edinburgh, Scotland)
The Hidden Messages in Water
by Masaru Emoto, 2004 (Beyond Words Publiishing, Inc.)
The Voice of the Infinite in the Small: Re-Visioning the Insect-Human Connection
by Joanne Elizabeth Lauck, 2002 (Shambhala)
Janet works in a variety of mediums – watercolor and gouache, oil and acrylic paint, and ink and litho crayon.
Advice for Children (and Grownups)
Janet has some great advice for children (and grownups) looking to get started with art. Search out a “sit spot” – a location where you can observe plants or animals without being disturbed. Go to the same spot every day to make notes on what you see. Look around and see who and what shows up. Before you know it, you may gain the trust of an animal and that will allow you to see some amazing things.
Write down what you see… make sketches. It doesn’t have to be perfect or even good. What you are learning is to be observant. Imagine a conversation you would have with the animal, plants and insects all around you.
A Community of Artists series is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.
