BioJanis Sanders is an accomplished oil painter, who has won awards for his unique painting style. His work is done with a palette knife, often en plein air. He melds elements of American Realism with Modernism/Impressionism for a dramatically contemporary visual result. He works to convey light glancing on a surface to communicate the spirit of place of each singular American setting. He paints muscularly, enthusiastically, vigorously outdoors throughout the year, from the rugged coast of Maine to the verdant marshes of the North Shore of Boston, to the quiet sand dunes of the Outer Cape. Janis is represented in galleries throughout New England as well as Sante Fe. His work hangs in prestigious collections in the United States and overseas. Artist Statement"Salt air, salt spray, sweet smell of summer grass, verdant marsh, an old house at the water’s edge, wind in your hair, sun on your face. These elements draw me outdoors, to the grassy dunes of Truro, the calm marshes of the North Shore, to the rugged cliffs of Maine. Many of my paintings are done “en plein air”, a method introduced in the mid-1800’s by Boudin and other French artists, and pursued vigorously by the Impressionists, a name coined by an art critic in response to Claude Monet’s work, Impression, Sunrise, 1872. Each of my works is done as spontaneously as possible, with only minimal blocking in of forms. I begin each painting with the sky, to me the most important element. The sky IS light, some days slightly purple, sometimes hazy cream, clear aqua, rosy, peach, celadon; we are immersed in it. Sky is the key to determine the entire atmosphere of the painting, and visually and practically provide the backdrop for the other objects in view. My self-assigned task for each work, is to convey the ethereal ‘thing’ of light in paint, as the sun casts its breath on the world.I paint vigorously, expressively, physically, applying paint with a palette knife in blocks/area of color, smoothing/blending minimally to keep the paint fresh and say the essence of the ‘thing’. I take tremendous joy in the attempt, and the subsequent sharing of the result with you. Thank you for looking, sharing the experience."