“People who love my work say they feel as though they can walk right into my images and take a deep breath, because the space there is so tranquil and inviting. My use of vibrant color and undulating shapes create a sense of calm yet buoyant joy, and the pathways and roads I incorporate invite exploration. The colors and shapes carry awareness on a journey throughout the picture space.” – Jane Aukshunas

When I was about 10 years old, I discovered oil pastels and have been enamored of them ever since. Oil pastels consist of pigment mixed with a binder of wax and non-drying oil. They are much creamier than chalk pastels, allowing a greater freedom of expression than pencils and more control than paint. I adore them for their textural sensuality and find them delightful to apply to the wood panels and paper on which I work. Over many years of experimentation in my studio, I have developed oil pastel techniques that blend both drawing and painting. To achieve my lush landscape imagery, I utilize thick applications of richly colored oil pastels, working the creamy pigments with my fingers and other tools.

I like to work “en plein air” (on location in the great outdoors), but painting outdoors can sometimes be challenging. At times, while working by the side of busy roads, I have had to hold tightly to my drawing board when trucks roared by. I have had to devise ways to keep my oil pastels from melting on hot summer days, and during the rainy season, I occasionally have to work inside my car, using the windshield wipers to clear my view of the landscape.

Perhaps because my formal art training is rooted in design, I pare down the world around me to the essential elements, shapes and colors that have become the crux of my imagery. Vibrant color and sensuality of line give my work a playful and contemporary feeling, and the images in my art reflect my love of rhythm, music and movement. I have had a lifelong interest in textiles, and consequently, my imagery is influenced by fabric design.