A mop of hair obscures the face of a young boy curled over his own knees, barefoot on the street staring at a cellphone. But most distinct is not the faceless human figure, but the colors and distinct texture of his jeans and sweatshirt and the weight of his posture.
The character is one of many of Janet Lewis’ paintings — inspired by her keen photographer’s eye and transformed through paint and texture — hanging on the walls of her new gallery and studio in Ridgway, which opened earlier this month. Right now, the gallery is mostly furnished with Lewis’ art, though she’s open to showcasing other artists.
After years of splitting time between Ouray in the summer and Florida in the winter, Lewis decided to move to Colorado permanently and take her gallery and studio with her, opening Jan Lewis Gallery at 640 Sherman St. Suite A.
Lewis formerly owned a connected home, studio and gallery space in Village of the Arts in Bradenton, Florida, a colorful community of artists who live, create and showcase their work all under the roofs of their homes.
She hopes to foster a similar environment in her new gallery in Ridgway, where patrons are welcome to come in and watch her paint.
Lewis studied art in college but pursued a career in occupational therapy before returning to painting full-time after retirement.
She closely studies other artists and tries to emulate her favorites, such as Georgia O’Keeffe and Mark Rothko, an abstract painter.
“I think you can gain from studying anybody that can do something different than you do,” Lewis said.
But she doesn’t feel she quite has a distinct approach, calling her style eclectic and dependent on what she feels like doing.
Aside from portraits, she also paints lots of abstract work where color appears as the defining subject, taking the form of a flower or sunset.
Earlier this month, she read a passage in a book about pink mountains and turquoise skies and decided to begin painting the scene from her new studio-gallery.
One piece that blends her stylistic interests is a portrait of her cat who lived for 20 years, looking at a piece of art from a hotel bed.
Though the subject is the cat craning its neck back at a framed image, she believes the magic is in the layered colors making up the blank cream wall and blank white comforter on the bed.
Those “fields of color” were inspired by visiting a Rothko showcase.
“I was blown away when you could see all that’s going on in a field of color,” she said.
She hopes people can enjoy art in person in a similar way at her gallery.
She’s open on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is hosting a grand opening on Sept. 5 and 6. For more information visit janlewis.org.
