Janet Bothne

Janet Bothne has been ‘weaving’ color in her vibrant works for over 2 decades.

Her focus on the paint itself being the subject matter has taken this former realist into a new practice that balances gut vs. brain, chaos vs. organization and a zen-like approach which results in works that straddle the familiar and the enigmatic.

Her creative journey began in Massachusetts, studying art from grade school and at the University Of Massachusetts at Amherst. Leaving U. Mass after one year, she set out to make her mark outside of the academic world. She went on to restore antiques, paint murals for businesses and draw portraits for numerous clients.

In 1996, she moved to California and threw herself into her art full-time, making the transition from fastidious realism to her unique abstractions. Since that time, Bothne has exhibited in numerous venues, including The Los Angeles County Museum Of Art and The Santa Monica Art Museum.

She moved to New Mexico in 2013, and opened “Studio J Contemporary” in Los Ranchos where she shared her artistic theories with her students for over 5 years. Needing to end the classes during covid and consequently downsize her space, she returned to focusing on her own work and stretching her imagination with more experimentation and new materials.

“Sometimes life throws you a curve ball, and while you might not realize it at the time, it’s the universe telling you it’s time to start a fresh chapter,” she says. “For me, it has also been an opportunity to find more balance in my life.”