Janetha paints birds; magpies, cockatoos, and galahs. All are vibrant and powerful; contributing to Janetha’s notable style.
“My love of birds stems from a joint love that my Dad and I shared. We loved watching and identifying as many bird types as possible. Often we would sit on the verandah and quietly observe eagles to little mannikins,” she says.
An impressive collection of Janetha’s birds.
These iconic birds drew the H.Parsons team to acquiring Janetha’s work, which was on display at the Shoalhaven Art Society’s ‘56th Annual Open Art Exhibition’.
Her ability to capture the beauty of Australian wildlife was greatly admired by the H.Parsons team. Cockatoos, being a piece of this wildlife, will now find a spot on the walls of the H.Parsons facility in Nowra.
Janetha’s love of Australian wildlife was established before she had ever seen a kookaburra or cockatoo. Growing up in Zimbabwe and South Africa, the wildlife was vastly different. It wasn’t until she had moved to Australia, that nature began inspiring her work.
“Painting birds has become even more of a passion to me since my dad died in Zambia from Coronavirus. Each bird has its own individual character even within the same species,” she says.
Janetha giving life to a brolga.
Janetha lends her technique and growth as an artist to her husband, Marc, an artist who has also found stimulation on the South Coast.
“I started to paint when I met Marc Poisson 25 years ago. He was already well known in South Africa selling countrywide and internationally,” she says.
“I loved the sensuality of oil paint and the vibrancy you could achieve with it.”
Now, residing in the southern suburbs of the Illawarra, Janetha can explore her love of birds. She says that she loves being constantly surrounded by them. Australian birds have such noticeable, unique sounds that are all too familiar to anyone who has encountered a cockatoo or kookaburra. They are hard to miss.
Janetha’s cockatoo taking flight .
Janetha explains that she has found a thriving art community on the South Coast. There is no shortage of events where artists have an opportunity to exhibit their work.
“The exhibitions I have attended have proven that a lot more can be done to give the visual arts a huge boost,” Janetha says.
“We encourage young ones to take part in Exhibitions, no matter their skill.
“We were very pleased and grateful that Alan had decided to continue the sponsorship and support the local art world on the South Coast as it is very difficult to get sponsors.”
The H.Parsons team is excited to continue their work with enthusiastic artists, like Janetha, who capture the beauty of the South Coast.
Janetha’s magpie.