| Jana Donoho-Strong |
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As a child, I lived in a steep river valley at the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. My early years of living on the river with rocks and trees left a lasting impression on me. These two natural forms are dominant elements in my work and are used to draw attention to the interconnectedness between humans and nature. Strength, adaptability, fragility, balance, the cycle of life into decay and mystery are manifest within nature, and are characteristics I express in my work.
My artwork embraces the trend toward environmentally senstive art, which expresses concerns for the land and a desire to influence the ways in which people look at and treat the environment. I agree with Herbert Marcuse's assertion that there are two necessary conditions in creating art. "The first is that the artists has the responsibility to help society deal with its hidden conflicts and contradictions. The second is that the work must employ hope in whatever way possible." My work is not meant to be a simple statement about humans, nature and recycling. Rather, I choose to entice with beauty and give the viewer the opportunity to search for deeper meanings. |
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I work predominantly with paper; painting representational imagery with water media and constructing sculpture forms with western-method hand-made paper, embellished with wood and stone. These two approaches to my work come from a desire to reach a broad audience and to engage two differing needs for expression. In my paintings, I show nature's intricacies. The sculptural forms are derived from spontaneity between the materials I am working with and my concerns for the characteristics within nature.



