[Watercolor flowers]
Watercolor painting--United States. [LCSH]
Flowers in art [LCSH]
Watercolor painting depicts flowering plants in colors of yellow, orange, and white. What look to be grey headed cone flowers are painted in a vibrant orange at the bottom left and upper right quadrants. A grouping of white-petaled flowers with golden centers that may be shepherd's needle is painted in the bottom right quadrant. In close to the center of the top half of the painting is a flower that may be white milkweed, with what's possibly an unopened, still green milkweed pod immediately to the left of the bloom. There are also three brown, spiky, globe-shaped, spent flower heads, possibly common burdock; one is near the center of the painting, and the others in the top left and bottom left quadrants. Green leaves and flower stems are also part of the painting.
Some of the white of the paper shows in the background, and the rest of the paper is an abstract backdrop of watercolor "blooms" in a sunny yellow, various shades of blue, and pale green. There are spatters of dark blue, yellow, and green paint across both the subject and the background. The paper is somewhat torn or peeling in a few places on the white milkweed, possibly because masking fluid was used there. Underlying pencil sketch is visible in places. The paper is medium weight, slightly translucent, and probably cold-pressed.
Gillett, Janice
1990 -2010?
All rights held by Acacia Williams
Medium: watercolor on paper
Extent: 38 x 27.5 cm
Physical object
JG_0004
[Watercolor painting of a forest from a distance]
Watercolor painting--United States. [LCSH]
Landscape painting--United States. [LCSH]
Trees in art [LCSH]
Watercolor painting shows a forest in the distance. The painting is done in shades of brown and green. Colors range from opaque to transparent, with the foreground generally being darker and more opaque than the background. Trees vary in their solidity, with some merely being suggested. The foliage, in particular, is amorphous; only the tree trunks and branches are distinct. The tree branches and trunks vary in color from a lighter, burnt sienna brown to a very dark, chocolate brown. Three white projections in the foreground may be trees, but it's unclear; they do not have any leaves and are extremely abstract. White circles and near-circles, absent paint, appear in the foreground of the painting and it's not immediately clear what they are meant to represent, either. There are plenty of open spaces in the forest as well, and vegetation is suggested in these areas, perhaps shrubs, although the painting is loosely styled, so that can only be speculation. In all, the painting only takes up about between a third and half of the total surface area of the paper. The image is located about halfway between the top to bottom of the paper, and stretches the full width of the paper. The shape of the paper is somewhat irregular; it was clearly cut down from a larger piece of watercolor paper. The top edge is deckled; the other edges were trimmed, unevenly, with scissors. This watercolor paper appears to be medium, cold-pressed.
Gillett, Janice
1990-2010?
All rights held by Acacia Williams
Medium: watercolor on paper
Extent: 18.9 x 28.1 cm <em>(The second measurement is approximate as the paper is irregular; it represents the greatest extent in that dimension.)</em>
Physical object
JG_0001
[Watercolor painting: Artist's daughter I]
Watercolor painting--United States. [LCSH]
Portrait painting--United States. [LCSH]
Children in art [LCSH]
Watercolor portrait of a young girl--the artist's daughter, here depicted likely around age five. The girl is facing the observer, although not squarely. The girl's body is merely suggested, but based on a related painting ([Artist's daughter II]) she is likely looking at the viewer over her right shoulder. The brushwork is loose and suggestive, more so than the artist's usual work. The girl's clothing appears to be white, with sky-blue accents around the shoulders. The girl's hair, which is just past shoulder-length and straight, is painted in various shades of browns on the left side of the piece, and browns and purples on the right side. The right side of the face, as seen by the observer, is less well-defined and appears to be in deeper shadow. The girl wears a neutral expression and her eyes appear to be cast slightly down and to her right. The eyes are painted in shades of gray. The background around the girl's head is painted an olive-brown color; it does not go to the edge of the paper and coverage varies with the white background showing through in several places where the brush was drier. White space is left around the edges of the painting. Some pencil lines are faintly visible from the original sketch. The paper itself is medium, cold-pressed, and cut cleanly along the bottom and right edges, but is deckle-edged along the left and top edges.
Gillett, Janice
1990-2010?
All rights held by Acacia Williams
<a href="https://waynestateu.omeka.net/items/show/545">[Artist's daughter II]</a>
Medium: watercolor on paper
Extent: 25.2 x 20.7 cm
Physical object
JG_005
[Watercolor painting: Artist's daughter II]
Watercolor painting--United States. [LCSH]
Portrait painting--United States. [LCSH]
Children in art [LCSH]
Watercolor portrait of a young girl--the artist's daughter, depicted here likely around age five. The girl is facing the observer squarely, looking over her right shoulder. She is wearing a white, collarless shirt; blue-gray paint creates a light shadow on her right shoulder and a darker shadow on her chest. The girl has blue eyes and a neutral expression on her face. She is looking slightly down and to her right. Her hair is painted mostly in shades of red-brown, with some golden-colored accents. The hair, just longer than shoulder-length, appears very slightly wavy or disheveled and some falls over the right shoulder. The right side of the face (from the perspective of the observer) is in shadow. The background behind the girl is painted in a mix of brown and greens. The background color does not go evenly to all edges of the paper and the paint coverage varies between heavy, and light or dry-brushed. The paper itself--medium, cold-pressed, probably--is somewhat jaggedly cut along the top edge, smooth along the left side, and deckled along the bottom and right sides. Some of the preliminary sketch done in pencil is still visible, particularly around the nose, mouth, and chin.
Gillett, Janice
1990-2010?
All rights held by Acacia Williams
<a href="https://waynestateu.omeka.net/items/show/544">[Artist's daughter I]</a>
Medium: watercolor on paper
Extent: 28 x 19.2 cm
Physical object
JG_006
[Watercolor study of purple flowers I]
Watercolor painting--United States. [LCSH]
Flowers in art [LCSH]
Watercolor painting of an unidentified plant with pale purple flowers. There are two flowers on the plant; one of the blooms is fully open and the other is mostly closed. The flowers are trumpet-shaped. The fully opened flower falls mostly in the upper left quadrant of the painting and it is oriented mostly toward the viewer, but angled slightly up and to the right. The closed flower appears mostly in the bottom right quadrant; the viewer sees this flower from the side. The stem of the plant is thick, sturdy looking, and dark green. Pencil sketching is visible in multiple places in this painting. A very light watercolor wash has been applied on the background using blue and purple paint; the olive green and brown paint used for the leaves has bled out into the background in places, as well. However, much of the background has been left unpainted. This painting is less crisp, less detailed, and more suggestive of shapes than its counterpart, JG_009. The watercolor paper is medium weight and likely cold-pressed. The bottom and left edges are deckled and the top and right edges are slightly jagged--the paper may have been cut to size with scissors. The layers of the paper are separating in one place along the upper left edge and the paper here is slightly torn and stained brown as well.
Gillett, Janice
1990-2010?
All rights held by Acacia Williams
<a href="https://waynestateu.omeka.net/admin/items/show/id/551">[Watercolor study of purple flowers II]</a>
Medium: watercolor on paper
Extent: 38.1 x 28.3 cm
Physical object
JG_0010
[Blue watercolor foot with cigarette]
Watercolor painting--United States--20th century. [LCSH]
Foot in art [LCSH]
Surrealism [LCSH]
Ink and watercolor painting of a person's right leg and foot, from the shin down, with a cigarette held between the first and second toes. The skin is painted a blue color, with the leg originating from the top edge of the paper, and the toenails are painted red. The blue of the skin varies in color from light, baby blue to darker blues, with the darker hues concentrated around the ankle, heel, instep, and along the left edge of the foot from the big toe to where the arch begins. The foot encompasses only half of the paper; the remaining paper has been left blank. It's not clear if the cigarette is lit or not; that end of the cigarette extends beyond the scope of the paper. The ink drawing outlines nearly the entire foot and adds details showing the location of the tendons on the instep of the foot, as well as the malleolus (the knobby bone on the side of the foot near the ankle). The pen outline doesn't quite extend all the way up the back of the calf, stopping about 1.5 centimeters from the edge of the paper. The paper is lighter-weight than many of the other watercolor papers in this collection, and more strongly textured. It is yellowed with age, and is further yellow-stained all along the edge on the side with the cigarette. The upper left-hand corner is lightly creased.
Gillett, Janice
1966-1973?
All rights held by Acacia Williams
Material: ink and watercolor on paper
Extent: 20.8 x 30.6 cm
Physical object
JG_0011
[Watercolor study of purple flowers II]
Watercolor painting--United States. [LCSH]
Flowers in art [LCSH]
Watercolor painting of an unidentified plant with pale purple flowers. There are a total of three flowers; one of the blooms is fully open, with orange anthers visible in the center and the other two are mostly closed. The flowers are trumpet-shaped. The fully opened flower falls mostly in the upper left quadrant of the painting and it is oriented mostly toward the viewer, but angled slightly up and to the right. One of the closed flowers appears mostly in the bottom right quadrant; because the viewer sees this flower from the side, it appears to be the largest of the three. The third flower is in the background and is painted without detail. The stem of the plant is thick, sturdy looking, and brown-red. Pencil sketching is visible in multiple places in this painting. A watercolor wash has been applied on the background using blue paint; the olive green paint used for the leaves has bled out into the background in places, as well. The watercolor paper is medium weight and likely cold-pressed. The top and left edges are deckled and there's an embossed brand name in the upper left corner, in all capital letters: WATER FORD SERIES.
Gillett, Janice
1990-2010?
All rights held by Acacia Williams
<a href="https://waynestateu.omeka.net/admin/items/show/547">[Watercolor study of purple flowers I]</a>
Medium: watercolor on paper
Extent: 37.8 x 28.3 cm
English
Physical object
JG_0009
[Watercolor painting of trees in the fall]
Watercolor painting--United States. [LCSH]
Landscape painting--United States. [LCSH]
Trees in art [LCSH]
Watercolor painting shows an autumn landscape with a stand of trees in the middleground, a body of water in the foreground, and a clear, blue sky in the background. The trees stand in a grouping; seven can distinctly be made out. Their foliage is mostly red and orange with some of the lower leaves on the trees in the front of the stand and toward the back left of the stand still displaying some fading shades of green-brown. The foliage is somewhat sparse and created by dabbing paint rather than brushing it on. A handful of small paint spatters intended for the foliage escape and mar the sky. The shoreline is covered in vegetation in shades of brown and olive green using paint splattering and dabbing techniques. A solid line is visible underneath in places, however, between the land and sky; it's unclear whether that line is painted or is part of an underlying pencil sketch. The shoreline and trees are reflected in the blue water that runs the width of the lower third of the painting. The reflection appears to extend past the confines of the painting. Ripples in the water are depicted in a lighter color blue. The edges of the paper are irregular on three of the four sides; the only perfectly smooth, even edge is the left one. The bottom and right edges are deckled, while the top has clearly been cut with scissors. The paper is medium weight and likely cold pressed.
Gillett, Janice
1990-2010?
All rights held by Acacia Williams
Medium: watercolor on paper
Extent: 25.5 x 23 cm
Physical object
JG_0015
Nude landscape I
Watercolor painting--United States--20th century. [LCSH]
Surrealism [LCSH]
Self-portraits [LCSH]
Female nude in art [LCSH]
Women in art [LCSH]
Pen and watercolor painting depicts a surreal scene painted from the artist's perspective looking down at her unclothed body re-imagined as a natural landscape. The figure is lying on her back, her knees up and slightly separated; her left arm, visible from the elbow up, and her left hand appear as a brown tree trunk. Trees in this painting feature detailing in black ink on the trunks; the leafy crowns are mostly green, with blue, yellow, and brown highlights and they are outlined in back ink. One tree is growing from the left thumb, while a smaller, leafy offshoot projects from the right side of the arm, between elbow and wrist. The woman's body, visible from the neck down, is painted in shades of greens and yellows, with some detail work in pen on the chest. Breasts, ribs, and stomach resemble rolling terrain and a tree grows up from the pubic area. A bright pink and orange sun, outlined in black ink, is either setting or rising between her thighs; orange paint has smudged slightly from the top of the sun into the sky, which has been left unpainted and is thus the off-white color of the watercolor paper itself. Another smudge, this time pink, appears about 4 centimeters above the top of the sun. Additionally, some blue pigment appears in the background, about 5 centimeters from the top of the paper, and runs from the midline of the paper to the right edge; it is unclear whether this mark was made intentionally by the artist. Beneath the woman's body, the land is green and blue, with dark blue silhouetting along the edges of the body and along the horizon. Approximately one to two centimeters along the bottom edge of the painting are left empty, except where the artist has titled the painting <em>Nude Landscape I</em> (bottom, left corner) and signed her name (as J. Gillett) in the bottom, right-hand corner. There are several strips of invisible, acetate tape along the left edge of the painting, as well as tape along the bottom and across each corner except the top left. There is some slight discoloration of the paper itself, which is obvious in places that were left unpainted. The paper was clearly removed from a spiral bound pad, which was bound at the top; the tabs from the spiral binding are largely still attached. The paper is somewhat crinkled in a few places, as well and a small chunk is missing from the top left corner. The paper is medium-lightweight with a medium grain and is portrait-orientation, taller than it is wide.
Gillett, Janice
1966-1969?
All rights held by Acacia Williams
Medium: watercolor on paper
Extent: 20.6 x 39.5 cm
English
Physical object
JG_0016
[Watercolor painting of cigarette and smoke]
Watercolor paintings--United States. [LCSH]
Smoking in art [LCSH]
Watercolor painting of a smoldering cigarette and its smoke rising up into the air. This is a minimalist painting. Only the end of the cigarette appears at the very edge of the paper. (There is no definitive orientation from which to view this painting. In this case, it is oriented such that the cigarette appears at the bottom edge.) Less than a centimeter of the white paper shows, and just over a centimeter of the burning, red and black end. The cigarette is angled slightly right, and the off-white smoke it produces moves mostly straight up, meandering slightly to the left before dispersing outward, curling toward the left and right of the painting. The background is a gray-blue wash with splotches of color possibly created using a blooming technique. There's an errant, curved red line--it looks like red pen--about 9 cm left of the cigarette; this was probably an accident. There are also some yellow-brown spots staining the paper, mostly on and around the smoke; they, too, appear to be an imperfection as opposed to intentional. The paper used for this piece is lightweight for watercolor paper and roughly textured.
Gillett, Janice
1966-1973?
All rights held by Acacia Williams
Medium: watercolor on paper
Extent: 30.5 x 29.5 cm
Physical object
JG_0017