Hello from my happy studio in Coffs Harbour
“The main thing is to be moved, to love, to hope, to tremble, to live.” ~ Auguste Rodin
Bright, colourful, and happy paintings
Home - it’s a happy place, a place where you feel really “you”. You’re surrounded by objects, souvenirs and images you’ve collected or selected with care. Now all you need is some art that really captures the bright, happy and fun yet cocooning vibe you’ve imagined for your home.
This is exactly the situation I find myself in often! Are you familiar with it? This is my motivation to head to the studio and create.
About Jan
Hi! I’m Jan Allsopp, an Australian nonobjective* artist who believes that art can add happiness to your life and home. Living with art is both a journey and a comfort, and exploration jump off point and a cocoon for your soul, and I believe art is for everyone.
Colour, shapes and textures are how I express my interest in connections and relationships. I think my abstract paintings say what can’t be said in words.
*Nonobjective doesn’t mean I don’t have an objective with my art! It simply means I don’t start with an object in mind, eg. a vase of flowers or landscape. Instead I start with an intention, and presently that’s a geometrics based on circles. It all evolves from that.
If you want a home environment that’s happy and inspiring, sophisticated yet full of your own quirky sense of style, browse my shop to find the perfect piece of art.
Want to know more?
Scroll down for more detailed information on Jan and her process.
Artist Statement - Complex Simplicity series
My art has always explored the 'extraordinary' that is hidden in the ‘ordinary'. I call myself a happiness enthusiast, although my personal relationship to happiness has been rocky. What I have learned is that happiness is a choice we make daily. My art is about sharing happiness, and reminding us of that choice.
My artistic process allows for limitless variation within self imposed constraints. For me this mirrors the opportunities for joy and humour in everyday life and relationships.
Using only simple shapes - circles and right-angled shapes - I construct the images. Colour is a vital ingredient and again I have constrained my options to a palette of ten, plus black and white.
To create my paintings I use a modified version of a process called mono-transfer. I begin by mixing a beautiful colour. I paint it onto a sheet of a special plastic and leave it to dry. Then I mix many versions of the same colour; some dark, some light, some intense, some muted. These too are painted onto plastic sheets and left to dry. The coloured sheets are then cut into circles and right-angled shapes - squares or rectangles. I use both the positive and negative shapes - that is the circle and the shape left when it was cut out. These are then assembled collage-like on wood panels and adhered with an acrylic polymer. The plastic is removed when the bond has dried. (I reuse or recycle as much of the plastic as is possible.)
Each painting is created in layers. The first layer activates my imagination. The second begins to tell me a story. The third and subsequent layers are where the image becomes clear to me. It is always a happy surprise.
For me the final step of my creative process happens when my art is placed in the viewers personal environment where it can continuously remind and evoke happiness.
Jan Allsopp
2021
Jan Allsopp C V
Solo Exhibitions
2022 Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery, Coffs Harbour, NSW
2012 Paw-traits, Bunker Cartoon Gallery, Coffs Harbour, NSW
2006 Roll Up!, Bunker Cartoon Gallery, Coffs Harbour NSW
2005 Cool Canines, Bunker Cartoon Gallery, Coffs Harbour NSW
2000 A Cup of Tea & a Nice Lie Down, Lake Russell Gallery, Coffs Harbour, NSW
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2019 Summer Show, The Art Space, Urunga NSW
2019 The Other Art Fair, Sydney NSW (October)
2019 Warmth, The Art Space, Urunga NSW
2019 The Other Art Fair, Sydney NSW (March)
2019 New Year, New Work, Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery, Coffs Harbour, NSW
2018 The Summer Show, The Art Space, Urunga NSW
2018 Guura/Bloom, The Art Space, Urunga NSW
2018 Full Circle, The Art Space, Urunga NSW
2018 Northern Exposure 5, Glasshouse, Port Macquarie NSW
2013-15 Group Exhibitions, The Art Factory, Coffs Harbour NSW
2012 Women’s Exhibition, Cr8Studios, Coffs Harbour NSW
2011 Summer Sessions, Matilda Street Gallery, Macksville NSW
2011 Affordable Art Exhibition, Cr8Studios, Coffs Harbour NSW
2011 Opening Exhibition, Cr8Studios, Coffs Harbour NSW
2011 Soul Food, Bowraville Community Art Gallery, Bowraville, NSW
2010 Converge, MV Gallery, Gladstone, NSW
2009 Warwick Art Prize, Warwick Art Gallery, Warwick, Qld
2007 Body of Work, Liminal Space, Coffs Harbour, NSW
2005 People’s Choice, Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery, Coffs Harbour NSW
2005 The Acorn Concept, Bunker Cartoon Gallery, Coffs Harbour NSW
2004 Visage, Blank Space Gallery, Sydney NSW
1992 Jacaranda Drawing Prize Exhibition, Grafton Regional Gallery, Grafton NSW
Awards
2016 Finalist, Eutick Memorial Still Life Award, Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery
2009 Highly Commended, Warwick Art Prize, Warwick Art Gallery, Warwick, Qld
2005 Highly Commended, Coffs Harbour Art Show, Coffs Harbour NSW
1993 Special Award, Painting, TAFE, Coffs Harbour NSW
1992 Painting Award of Excellence, TAFE NSW, Sydney NSW
1991 Achievement Award, TAFE, Coffs Harbour NSW
Education
2016 Creative Visionary Program, Nicholas Wilton, San Francisco, USA
2005 Commenced BA (Fine Art & Visual Communication), Curtin University of Technology, Perth WA (2 years completed)
1998 Commenced Certificate 4 Visual Art, North Coast Institute of TAFE,
1992 Certificate in Painting, North Coast Institute of TAFE, Coffs Harbour NSW
1993 Certificate in Drawing, North Coast Institute of TAFE, Coffs Harbour NSW
Commissions
2012 Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour NSW
Collections
NSW Department of Education
Private Collections in Australia, New Zealand, USA, UK, China, Thailand
Bibliography
“The Peoplescape, Celebrating Australians,” McKernan, Hardie Grant Books, 2002, pgs 11, 34