One Billion Rising, 20″x48″, oil on canvas; Janet Larkman, 2014
Janet Larkman
My mother has a yellowed drawing I did in kindergarten. I’m wearing a beret at an easel — ‘when I grow up I want to be an artist’ is scrawled at the bottom. I attended an art-focused high school in Toronto, where I studied with a professional abstract painter and had my first gallery show. I completed a BFA at NSCAD, including a year at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. I work mainly as a painter with a 3-D sensibility, incorporating materials like metal, stone, glass, wood, and clay. I have always engaged in installation art, often integrating paintings into installations.
A vital role
I served on the VANS Board for five years, including as President, witnessing firsthand the importance of VANS in advocacy, professional development, networking, and promotion. Briony and her team do an excellent job advancing the visual arts in Nova Scotia.
We hosted the AGM as a movable feast, including a memorable year in Annapolis Royal. VANS Regional shows have facilitated notable exhibitions in Annapolis West with engaging themes. Locally, ARTsPLACE provides a vibrant venue for artists to showcase and experiment. VANS’ new support programs are valuable resources.
I am a PAINTS instructor and enjoy working with students of all ages. I have taught cartooning in schools across western Nova Scotia and Halifax/Dartmouth. Young children are fearless with their confident lines. Thank you, VANS, for supporting art education — here's to more art in schools!
Using tools creatively
According to Secord Gallery in Halifax, my work features vigorously textured surfaces emphasizing material manipulation to enhance visual effect and meaning. I have a tactile relationship with materials, blending sculpture and painting, sometimes using unconventional tools like an angle grinder. My art, rooted in social commentary, has evolved from abstract to narrative styles in recent series.
I love collaborating and connecting with community through art. I am part of the Elephant Grass Print Collective, a group of nine women running a print-making studio in Parker’s Cove, constantly learning and experimenting.
Recently, I built a new studio with dedicated indoor and outdoor spaces, equipped with a variety of tools and a gallery, opening up many creative possibilities.
Living as a full-time artist
After NSCAD, I managed Kate Millet’s Art Farm in New York, exploring movement, writing, photography, and large drawings. Returning to Nova Scotia near Annapolis Royal, I balanced making art with earning a living. Now, I am thrilled to work full-time as a maker, engaging in activities like building greenhouses and growing food, alongside studio work such as graphic facilitation and cartooning. Teaching art at Acadia University was also a rewarding experience. While my work fluctuates between commercial success and other phases, the true reward is knowing my art moves or inspires others and sparks new perceptions.
Upcoming Exhibition: Unbroken
"Unbroken" features new work with ceramic sculptor Louise Pentz at the Secord Gallery, running from March 21 to April 19, with an artist talk on Saturday, April 5th at 2 pm. The show explores women’s strength amid oppression. Inspired by women’s stories worldwide confronting injustice, I began painting to understand and amplify these narratives, aiming to foster dialogue. I look forward to exploring this theme further, moving towards more abstract work that intersects painting, sculpture, and installation.
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Janet Larkman – April Featured Artist • Halifax, Halifax County, CA
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