INTERVIEW: Janet Hennessey Dilenschneider invites you to ‘Come to the Light’
Photo: Janet Hennessey Dilenschneider’s latest exhibition at The Gallery at The Sheen Center of Thought & Culture is called Come to the Light. Photo courtesy of the artist / Provided by Keith Sherman & Associates with permission.
Artist Janet Hennessey Dilenschneider is no stranger to The Gallery at The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture, located in Downtown Manhattan on Bleecker Street and the official arts center of the Archdiocese of New York. She has exhibited at the gallery a couple of times over the past few years, and she is back with a new show called Come to the Light, which continues until Friday, June 14.
In press notes, the artist talked about the need for positivity and calmness in the world, and that’s exactly what visitors will encounter when taking in her paintings at The Gallery. The works are expressionistic landscapes of natural scenery — think setting suns and reflections in the water — which automatically generate tranquility and introspection. This natural inspiration comes from Dilenschneider’s lovely surroundings in Connecticut, where she lives and paints.
Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with the artist to find out more information about the current exhibition and what motivates her to put the brush on an empty canvas. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
What do you like about the paintings included in the Come to the Light exhibition?
These paintings were chosen to emphasize a theme of Come to the Light. Thus, there is a preponderance of calming restful images. You see a lot of calm water scenes and beautiful clouds against crystal clear skies. For me, it is the sense of possibility and hope. My objective is that anyone seeing the paintings hopefully will feel more positive about their life and the horrible things that are happening in the world today.
Were all of the pieces painted at your studio in Connecticut?
Yes, they were, but they reflect my travels abroad to see the world, plus the wonderful sites I have visited and exhibited my work: Mystic, Connecticut, the home of early American Impressionists; the Paris Marias section near Picasso’s museum; and, of course, Connecticut and New York. Everything one sees can be an influence. The colors influence each other as well as the viewer. The puffy white cloud against a blue sky, sunrises and sunsets, all of this influences me as well as many other artists. As a matter of fact, the whole exhibit came as a result of one morning before 7 a.m. when I saw the most beautiful sunrise out of my window. I was taken back by it. I found it just sensational and inspirational. As I started to paint it, I realized that this was what I wanted the focus of the exhibit to be. I want people to know there is light at the end of the tunnel. After talking with several people, we paraphrased a quote from the late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, and the title of the show became Come to the Light. I have subsequently found that a lot of people understand what this means — all the good that can lift up your heart.
Do you feel that these images stand in stark contrast to the difficulties the world is currently facing? Should we return to nature to find peace?
Paintings cannot solve the problems in the world. My objective in Come to the Light is to have people view my work and recognize that one can have a sense of calm, respite from the horrible things happening in the world. Your statement referring to nature is a good idea. It helps. This is why I paint so much calm blue, grasses, trees and water. I just think how calming a walk on the beach is.
What is it about nature that you find so inspirational?
My studio is surrounded by elements of nature. I look out and see trees in a variety of colors, bending bows dancing in the breeze, bushes, blue-green waters lapping on the shore. It reflects the positive aspects of life. It is constant, renewable and refreshing. It is my job to “interpret” it and translate it into art. I love using color to “sing” and “vibrate.” Two strong colors can modify each other and emphasize a “mood.” I also look to “gesture lines” to define structure and guide the viewer’s eye. All of this is inspired from nature.
You’ve returned to The Gallery at The Sheen Center once again. What do you like about this space?
I truly respect the people and the mission of The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture and am grateful to His Eminence Cardinal Timothy Dolan for establishing The Sheen Center. The new executive director, MaryLou Pagano, is a dynamic and energetic person. She will guide the center well. The Sheen Center is in the heart of Greenwich Village on Bleecker Street. It is there in the heart of creativity in New York City.
Could you describe the chance encounter you had with Roy Lichtenstein?
I was 16 years old and entering a framed painting in a big art show. The lady at the desk said, “I can’t take this.” I was disappointed. A man came up to me and said the problem is there is no wire to hang it and asked me, “Can I do that for you?” I told him how much I appreciated it, and the painting was accepted. A friend called a few days later and said my name was in the newspaper as having won a first place award for the painting. The man who helped me was the curator and the very famous artist, Roy Lichtenstein. This, of course, was a great motivation for a young artist. Also, several years later I took lessons with another great artist, Wolfe Kahn. I will always remember his initial assignment in the first class. It was to paint a sandwich. How challenging! Imagine painting those red tomatoes against green lettuce, yellow mustard and pink ham on white bread. What fun! Currently I am greatly enjoy a Zoom session once a week by an outstanding artist and teacher, David Dunlop (daviddunlop.com). His mystical landscapes are so inspiring.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Come to the Light, an exhibition of new paintings by Janet Hennessey Dilenschneider, runs through Friday, June 14 at The Gallery at The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture on Bleecker Street in Downtown Manhattan. Admission is free. Click here for more information.
