My studio was in an uproar as I was redecorating…everything was in boxes packed away…I had to paint, I had to do something to take my mind of the horrors that were being shown day and night and yet I could not turn the television off.
Then I found my large journal with some blank pages in it…o.k. I thought I’ll do some flowers….I could find only some tubes of paint but no brushes…I was desperate…looking around I found something and started to paint with it…I could not really see what I was doing…the images just flowed out of my brain on to the paper…several weeks later I looked at them more closely and then I realized what they were…these are the images that I painted and I gave them titles that I thought expressed the emotion that was felt in the city at the time...
September City.. still with no idea of what was in store…colours are bright, but on an even keel..
September City 2...the days before the horror..no one could imagine how things can change in a day…colours begin to darken…
September City 3..Chaos...when the horrors started..no where to turn…no where to run…the city is covered in clouds of white dust…colours are dark and obscured….
September City..Disbelief...this could not be happening…we should be safe…why is this happening to us? shades of darkness hover over everything now…
September City..Fear...where next..what is to happen to us…all around us are the shadows of fear…no place to go…
September City..Lost...we’ll never recover from this…there is no going back…this is the end….
September City..Missing...where are they…our loved ones…have you seen this man?
September City..Redemption...it will take time, but we will recover….we are proud to be Americans…
I used acrylic paint and an old plastic membership card, to do these paintings…nothing else...they are dated the week of September 11 2001….
Alison Pearce
Powerful abstracts Janis
Janis Zroback in reply to Alison Pearce’s comment
Thank you Alison…I did not realize how powerful until much later…
David Roman
All of them show the mood of the artist very well
Great work Miss J
Janis Zroback in reply to David Roman’s comment
Thank you so much David…it was not a good time…
Karin Taylor
oh so powerful and very moving…
very sobering
Janis Zroback in reply to Karin Taylor’s comment
Thank you Karin…it was and still is a very sobering time…
VanSnuG
Janis, I am …......
I ….....
( Amazed is definitely an Understatement)
Janis Zroback in reply to VanSnuG’s comment
I am still a bit taken aback myself…while I was painting it looked like long shards of colour emerging on the paper…I kept looking and asking myself what is this? Only later I saw what it was…I had no brushes…only what looked like a credit card that was on the table and some paint….
Thank you Steven…
kjgordon
you are incredible…..when do you sleep…......
Janis Zroback in reply to kjgordon’s comment
It’s midnight now, I’m just about to go to bed, and I love to read before I sleep…..so maybe soon…
kjgordon
well , you have a lovely sleep….
Aloha auinapo Good late night
Janis Zroback in reply to kjgordon’s comment
I plan to do just that…but in case you didn’t see it the first time, have a look at the date of these paintings…
Racheli
Janis, perfect abstracts, i feel the mood in it, beautiful september demonstrative,the exact opposite then mostly painters i saw.
I cherish a healthy soul.
Janis Zroback in reply to Racheli’s comment
Yes they’re about mood more than anything else, and I’m so pleased that you feel it so strongly…thank you Rachel for commenting…
SharonAHenson
BRAVO…...........
Janis Zroback in reply to SharonAHenson’s comment
Thank you Sharon..
kjgordon
sad
Janis Zroback in reply to kjgordon’s comment
Yes.. and we can’t go back and change anything…
kjgordon
I am at a loss for words….....everytime it think of 911 my heart sobs…........
We were back in NYC in 2004 and I couldn’t bring myself to go to groundzero….
That place is too sacred…........
let’s move on….........
Janis Zroback in reply to kjgordon’s comment
Yes lets…so much harm can be done when people hang on to the past for too long…we must remember, but we can’t dwell…
Van Cordle
Colorful, interesting, and excellent!
Janis Zroback in reply to Van Cordle’s comment
Thank you so much Van…
spuddy
Lovely colour credit cards come in useful
Janis Zroback in reply to spuddy’s comment
In more ways than one… :)))) glad you like the paintings.
Mary Campbell
Yes they speak of the turmoil you must of felt living there.
Janis Zroback in reply to Mary Campbell’s comment
I live in Canada, but we all went through it via television everyday 24 hours per day…
Joanne Bradley
Wow! Blown away by this series. I was a student (mature)in university when September 11th happened and was glued to the TV and mesmerized by the horror! These paintings certainly take us through all those emotions again! And resolve it by turning back to the balance of bright color because not matter what we must continue and will survive! Awesome spontaneous series Janis!
Janis Zroback in reply to Joanne Bradley’s comment
The first day I sat and did not move from the T.V. for the whole day…after that I painted with whatever I could get my hands on which was a credit card for the health club and some paint, and this is what emerged…I’m pleased you got the turn back at the end…very insightful Joanne…thank you…
