Biography from Chroma Gallery:
| Born in Miami Florida, Jan Clayton Pagratis has lived most of her life
on the Southeastern coast of the United States. She settled in Savannah, Georgia in
1999 and paints abstracted imagery that is sparked by moments or events
in time. A signature technique is to layer color to create luminosity. She is an anomaly in the art world in that she works
simultaneously in widely differing styles and techniques, creating moody, atmospheric pastels as well as vibrant, sun drenched landscapes. Her thickly layered oils
create texture in the bright, sunny stretches of water and sand and reflect her
surroundings of her current home in Savannah. Her abstract work with LOJA is intended to 'jump off' of the canvas with energy.
She earned her Bachelor of Art,
Business and Management/Fine Art from the University of Maryland in
College Park. She received her Masters of Fine Arts in Painting
from the George Washington University in Washington DC. in 1997. Her work
has garnered numerous awards, and she is a signature member of the Pastel
Society of America.
ARTIST STATEMENT:
My paintings are filled with ideas, memories, and fragments of experiences associated with growing up and living on the southeastern coast of the U.S. I was born in Miami, Florida, and grew up playing on warm beaches with white sand and horseshoe crabs. The memories of my youth are filled with images of the natural environment so I am deeply compelled by nature and all its intricacies. My move to Savannah, Georgia about fifteen years ago inspired a series of plein-air works that had me painting in marshes, on beaches, under bridges, and in the historic squares of downtown. Being outside in the elements, I soaked up the environment with enthusiasm. Over the past four or five years, I've moved back to painting in the studio which has allowed me to create larger canvases but more importantly has allowed me to contemplate that which inspires me.
The subject for these recent paintings is that of abstracted imagery often sparked by a particular event or moment in time, thus the content is created by the emotional tone that surrounds each memory. I hope to capture the shimmer of reflected light on dancing leaves, or tangled grasses at the edge of a march, or blue rain mixed with sunshine. I may find inspiration in the smell of a single clover blossom, or the sound of classical music. Each painting is dense with multiple layers of transparent oil paint and imbued with multiple layers of experiences.
Another important aspect of my studio practice involves my collection of discarded matter and recycled materials. For years I have saved paint scrapings from my palette and once I have enough paint, I am able to create a bricolage. I'm interested in working with the different media often juxtoposing and building surface textures with paint, wax, found objects and other oddities.
My work is a celebration of color and texture that portray my daily musings in the studio. Through experimentation and investigation, I satisfy my curiosity and fulfill an inherent need for discovery through play.
EDUCATION:
The George Washington University, Washington D.C.
Master of Fine Art / Painting, May 1997
University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Bachelor of Art, May 1990
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS:
Charleston Fine Art Dealers Association Seventh Fine Art Annual, Nov 2005, Wells Gallery, Charleston, SC
Oil Painters of America 14th Annual National Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils, May 2005,
Art in the Embassies Program, Artists Becoming Ambassadors, Exhibit 2005-2007, Athens, Greece
Southern Works, Palmetto Bluff Plantation Gallery, 2005, Bluffton, SC
Solo Show, Oct 2004, Bistro, Savannah, GA
Solo Show, Nov 2003, HOFP Gallery, Columbia, SC
Collaborative Works by LOJA, 2003/2004, Jazz’d , Savannah, GA
Solo Show, April 2002, Art Beat Gallery, Louisville, KY
"Savannah Onstage Invitational" Feb 2001, "Arrangements" Galerie Elan, Savannah, GA
Jewish Educational Alliance, “Journeys" Dec 2000, The Paths of Three Artists, JEA, Savannah, GA
Solo Show, "Pathways" Nov 2000, The Lobby Gallery, City Market, Savannah, GA
Solo Show, “Sacred Jewels” Dec 1999, The Lobby Gallery, City Market, Savannah, GA
The Telfair Museum Art Fair, 1999, Telfair Museum, Savannah, Georgia
Savannah Art Association, April Show, 1999, Savannah GA, **Best of Show**
Graduate Thesis Show, 1997, Dimock Gallery, The George Washington University, D.C.
Regional Juried All-Media Exhibit, 1995, Juried by Stephen Phillips, Associate Curator
The Phillips Collection, Wash DC Mattawoman Creek Art Center, La Plata, MD
The George Washington University Annual Award Show, 1995, Dimock Gallery, D.C.
**Morris M. Aein Prize (Pastel)**
The Reach of Realism, 1995, Perry House Gallery, Washington DC
The George Washington University Annual Award Show, 1994, Dimock Gallery, D.C.
**David Lloyd Kreeger Prize in Printmaking**
Pastel Society of America 22nd Annual Open Exhibition, 1994, National Arts Club, NYC
2nd Annual Summer Invitational Show, 1993, Perry House Gallery, Alexandria, VA
Pastel Society of America 21st Annual Open Exhibition, 1993, National Arts Club, NYC
**Hudson Valley Art Association Award**
The Art League December Marker Award Show, 1992, Torpedo Factory, Alexandria, VA
First of America Bank Annual Best of Show Exhibit, 1992, Marquette, MI
Midwest Pastel Society Pastel 7th Annual National Exhibition 1992,
Dellora Norris Cultural Arts Center, St. Charles, IL
Catherine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club, 96thAnnual Exhibition, 1992, National Arts Club, NYC
16th Annual LSAA Member’s Show, 1991, Lee Hall Gallery, Marquette MI
**Best of Show**
First of America Bank Four-Man Show, 1991, Marquette, MI
**Best of Show**
Pastel Society of America Traveling Exhibition, 1991, Harmon-Meek Gallery, Naples FL
9th Annual Women in the Arts, 1991, Depot Gallery, Negaunee, MI
**Board of Director’s Award**
**Award of Merit**
Pastel Society of America 19th Annual Open Exhibition, 1991, National Arts Club, NY, NY
All Michigan State Wide Show, 1990, Lee Hall Gallery, Marquette, MI
15th Annual LSAA Member’s Show, 1990, Lee Hall Gallery, Marquette, MI
**Honorable Mention**
8th Annual Women in the Arts, 1990, Depot Gallery, Negaunee, MI
Ramstein Art Fair, 1989, Ramstein Germany, *1st place drawing* *Award of Merit*
PUBLICATIONS:
Skinnie Magazine, Cover Art, Feb 2005
Skirt Magazine, Jan 2005
Coastal Antiques and Art, Collaborative Painting, Cover Story June 2004
Savannah Magazine, Women in Business, 2004
Coastal Antiques and Art, “Five Artists to Collect in 2003” Jan 2003
Carolina Arts, Review, Nov 2003
Southern Living Magazine, Oct 2003 Cover
Savannah Morning News, Aug 4, 2002
Travel Host Spotlight, June/Aug 2002
Savannah Onstage International Arts Festival Catalog, Mar 2002
Coastal Antiques and Art, Dec 2000
GW Hatchet, The George Washington University Press, 1995
WORKSHOPS:
PAPA Plein Air Painters of America Annual, Kenn Backhaus, George Strickland, Ken Auster, Ray Roberts,
Oct. 2005, Laguna Beach, California
Ken Auster, Plein Air Painting, Hilton Head, South Carolina
Wolf Kahn, Oil Painting, The George Washington University, Washington DC
David Leffel, Oil Painting, The George Washington University, Washington DC
Constance Pratt, Portrait and Figure in Pastel, Pastel Society of America, NYC
Betty Edwards Perceptual Drawing, Author of Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain.
Susan Sarbach, Plein Air Painting, Hilton Head, South Carolina
COLLECTIONS:
U.S. Embassy, Athens, Greece
The Baptist Medical Center, Jacksonville, FL
The George Washington University, Washington D.C.
CLS Lighting, Cleveland OH
Palmetto Bluff Plantation, Bluffton, South Carolina
First of America Bank, Marquette, MI
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS:
Pastel Society of America, New York, New York, Signature Member
Oil Painters of America, Associate Member
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