Check out Janet Montecalvo’s Artwork

Today we’d like to introduce you to Janet Montecalvo.

Janet, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I was raised in Quincy, just outside Boston. I had the best of both suburban and city living. My childhood was filled with marsh and beach adventures along the shores of Wollaston Beach and Boston shopping, movies and visits with relatives.

I graduated from Emmanuel College of Boston as an art major. In my junior year I volunteered at Boston Children’s Hospital and painted my first mural in the ER. Upon graduation I was hired to design and execute nearly 20 murals for the hospital. My interest in murals led to a sign painting apprenticeship for three years until I became the first female licensed union sign painter in Boston.

After getting married, I opened a business providing design, lettering and illustration services to a variety of clients in the fields of advertising, real estate development, retail and film and television production. As a scenic artist I was fortunate to receive an Emmy for graphic design work on the television special, “I’ll be Home for Christmas”, starring Hal Holbrook and Courtney Cox.

As my illustration portfolio developed, my work became more focused on children’s book and greeting card art.
My illustrations for the book, “Sofie and the City”, were nominated for the Golden Kite Award. In 2007 they were presented in a solo exhibit at the Danforth Museum of Art in Framingham, MA. Since 2010 I have returned to my passion for oil painting and now create my own fine art stories on canvas or wood.

We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I paint with oils on wood panels or canvas. I am interested in telling stories that make people smile.
I usually work on still life or cityscapes. I have a great affection for Boston and often paint locations that have special meaning to me. I’m interested in exposing people to some of my history and Boston’s as well. Lettering and signs are very often found and even highlighted in some of my work. There is nothing like an old neon sign!

My still life paintings usually contain some vintage elements like tin toys, classic tabletop dishes,etc. I love the shapes and colors. I even like to paint the rust and dents to show some history. I feel like I’m exploring the spaces and objects of day to day mid-20th century to present life in the United States. I want to tell stories of what ordinary people do and hold dear. A painter friend described my work as having an “absence of presence”-that humans aren’t physically present, but evidence of their actions and interests is very much the subject. Sounds good to me! I like to invite the viewer into my world of simple pleasures from the past and present.

Artists face many challenges, but what do you feel is the most pressing among them?
Traditional galleries disappearing.

Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
Galerie Sono
123 Washington Street
South Norwalk,CT 06854
(203)831-8332

Powers Gallery
144 Great Road(Rte.2A)
Acton, MA 01720
(978)263-5105

85th Annual Hudson Valley Art Association Juried Show
@ Lyme Art Association
Old Lyme, CT
until August 3, 2018

Janet_Montecalvo_Art on Instagram and Facebook

Contact Info:

• Address: 10 Cavatorta Drive Framingham,MA 01701
  Studio 2A 35 Tripp Street
• Website: www.janetmontecalvo.squarespace.com
• Phone: (508)875-4209 cell(508)284-9130
• Email: montecalvo_janet@hotmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janet_montecalvo_art/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=janet%20montecalvo%20art

Image Credit:
All images are the copyright of Janet Montecalvo

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