about Janine rawal
Professional Artist From Worcestershire.
Have you ever been pulled back to a moment in time by a knowing look?
Worcestershire based artist Janine Rawal grew up in a small rural village in the 80’s and 90’s, the kind of place where everyone knew everybody, and the world always felt safe.
Creativity and nature were always in her heart. Janine would often sit on a bench at the end of her road, taking in the beautiful scenery and create images in her mind from the cloudy skies. Summer walks with her mum ‘over the styles’ were a favourite activity, collecting items to use in transforming potting trays into magical lands and fairy gardens. Childhood summers were full of ‘playing out’, wildlife walks, time in the garden, good old fashioned British holidays and visiting family: where Janine was often found playing with the dogs or just talking to the animals.
Janine loved to read, to be transported to imagined lands, she adored the openness and freedom echoed in the books she read and the countryside around her. Fascinated by the expressions of human-like character in the animals, she often wondered what it was like in their world.
After being encouraged away from art in favour of a ‘more sensible’ career it was then during early motherhood, when joining a local rock painting group that Janine’s creativity returned and evolved. Gathering stones to paint brought to life that memory of the fairytale potting trays. She would find a rock, look at it and just know what it was meant to be.
Janine has developed her own technique on these rocks using a base of acrylic paint and building up layers; using ink from illustration markers; moving the inks around or stripping them back again until the texture or pattern she desires reveals itself. This method reflects her own life in working from that solid base; building up layers of protection during difficult times to then peel them back and slowly create her own happy ending. With some experimentation she has discovered papers that allow her to use this method on a larger scale, creating statement pieces for the home. Her artwork is intricately detailed, yet representational portraiture of animals, always with a plain or simple background allowing the character and magic to shine. However, the rocks remain dear to her, as they create an experience where an expression of love can literally be held close to someone’s heart and taken with them wherever they go.
Within each artwork is an untold expression, attribute or affirmation that’s been left searching for a voice, now to finally be spoken. Janine wishes to transport the viewer to moments of significance in their own life past, present or future whilst hinting at a magical world beyond everyday life that’s within us all. May the beauty of nature and you shine through.
pictures that speak
a thousand words.
