Artist Janine Laronde Andrew is best known for her realistic paintings of old buildings but this year she has taken up abstract painting.
She explained that around May, a friend requested one of her paintings for her apartment in London. However, she did not believe Laronde Andrew’s realistic paintings would suit the ascetic of the space and asked her to create some abstract pieces.
Laronde Andrew, 56, had dabbled in surrealistic work before, using red for leaves or purple for the sky, but she had never done abstract work so she had to do some research.
“A lot of the abstract artists nowadays are doing a lot of stippling effects, using dots and splashes. To me, that wasn’t really my way of approaching things.
“I needed to do something different from the others so I did a lot of internet research, looking at other abstract artists, seeing what they did, and did a combination of what I saw mixed in with my style, and I came up with different things.”
Laronde Andrew had never even thought of doing abstract work before the request, as she usually created realistic paintings in watercolour or acrylic from photographs of gingerbread houses and other old buildings – many of which have since been torn down – landscapes, seascapes, flora and fauna.
[caption id="attachment_979567" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Janine Laronde Andrew, local artiste highlights her new abstract paintings during an interview, Moka, Maraval, on October 6. - ROGER JACOB[/caption]
Now, she said, with abstract work, she kept finding and trying different techniques and so never knew how a piece would come out. She liked that unknown quality as well as the fact that she could edit each piece, adding or removing aspects even after she thought they were complete.
“It’s harder work because you have to think of the colours you’re going to put down, what you’re going to use, or what material you’re going to put in, be it paper or plastic. That part of it is more challenging but it’s more fun so I’m looking forward to seeing what the next piece is going to be like.”
She hopes her skill in the style would get even better as she continues.
“I just paint and however it comes out, it comes out. If it’s a disaster, I start over again.”
The first exhibit of her abstract work, and her first exhibition in seven years, took place at Horizons Art Gallery in September. The joint exhibition also featured surreal sculptures by Maria Diaz and floral studies by Gaby Beston Edwards. She showed 14 pieces with five remaining at Horizons. What she did not sell, she planned to repurpose.
Around that same time, one of her paintings, Woodbrook House, was also part of Angostura's collection at the PatriARTism exhibition at Mille Fleurs. She said she only knew of it when a friend saw the painting, took a picture and sent it to her, informing her the piece was there.
“I’ve been painting for many years but haven’t been exhibiting my work on a regular basis or leaving my work in galleries. But what I plan to do is, hopefully, with this new style, pick and
