Janis Mattson was born in Vermont, and has lived there most of her life. She has always loved animals both wild and domesticated. She has also always loved to draw, and often her subjects are furry or feathered.
She studied art and art history at the University of Vermont. She worked for several years in interior design. In the early 90s she started her own business doing freelance etchings on monuments for the local granite manufacturers. That brought her back closer to her fine arts background. After almost 20 years at that profession she returned to pencil drawing. She enjoys working with both graphite and colored pencils. Her work has been juried into numerous national and international exhibitions, she has won several awards and is a Signature or Elected Member of a number of prestigious art organizations.
She currently lives with her longtime partner and fellow artist Doug Aja and their dog Kili, in an 1850's farmhouse they have been busy restoring in Waterford, Vermont.
Artist's Statement:
“Light is so important when capturing a moment on paper. My goal when drawing is to not only do an interesting composition or subject, but to present it in an eye catching way. With dramatic lighting and deep contrast, ordinary subjects can become extraordinary".
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Honors and Awards:
2023 Academic Artists Association 73rd Annual Exhibition, Excellence Award, 'Pie Birds'
2023 AAPL Spring Members Online Show, 2nd Place Graphics & Mixed Media, 'Soft White'
2022 Kentucky National Wildlife Art Exhibit, David & Arlene Alexander Award, 'The Dump Cart'
2020 Audubon Artists Gold Medal of Honor, 'Pie Birds'
​2018 Kentucky National Wildlife Art Exhibit, Henderson, KY, John Stanley Hoffman Memorial Award 'Red Tailed Hawk'
​2017-Academic Artists Association 67th Annual National Exhibition of Traditional Realism, Blick Art Materials Award, 'In the Spotlight'
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Memberships:
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​Signature Member of SAA (The Society of Animal Artists)
Signature Member of Hudson Valley Art Association
Elected Member, Audubon Artists
Elected Member, American Artist's Processional League
​Elected Member, Academic Artists Association
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Publications:
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2023 American Art Collectors magazine September issue. 'Repose' selected for the article about AAPL's "Realism on the Hudson's" show.
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Current and Past Exhibitions:
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2024 AAPL Realism on the Hudson, "Winter Blue Jay", Howland Cultural Center, Beacon, NY, March 2nd - April 14th.
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2024 'Pencil Magic' , Monument Art & Cultural Center, Bennington, VT Show dates: February 24th- June 2nd. One of 6 graphite artist's invited to participate.
https://www.monumentcentervt.org/
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2023 Audubon Artists 81st Annual Exhibition (online), 'The Indignity', Show dates: November 12th, 2023- November 12th, 2024.
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2023 AAPL 95th Grand National Exhibition, 'A Softer Side', The Salmagundi Club of New York.
2023 AAPL Realism on the Hudson, 'Repose', Howland Cultural Center, Beacon, NY.
2023 90th Annual Juried Exhibition of the Hudson Valley Art Association, 'The Dump Cart', Lyme Art Association Gallery, Olde Lyme , CT.
2023 Academic Artists Association 73rd Annual Show, 'Pie Birds', Arts Center East, Vernon, CT.
2023 AAPL Spring Members Online Show, 'Soft White'.
2022 Audubon Artists 80th Annual Exhibition (online), 'MountainTop Opportunist'
2022 Kentucky National Wildlife Art Exhibit, Preston Art Center, 2660 S. Green Street, Henderson, KY, 'The Dump Cart'
2022 Naturally New England Art Show, The Livery, 58 Main Street, Sunapee Harbor, NH, 'Fledgling Kingbird' & 'Mountaintop Opportunist'
2022 Academic Artists Association 72nd Exhibition of Traditional Realism, The Arts Center East, 709 Hartford Turnpike, Vernon, CT. 'Repose'
2022 89th Annual Exhibition of the Hudson Valley Art Association, The Lyme Art Association Gallery, Old Lyme, CT, 'Pie Birds'
2021 Society of Animal Artists 'The Kingdom', Midland Center for the Arts, Midland, MI 'In the Spotlight'
2021 Audubon Artists 79th Annual Exhibition, Salmagundi Club, 47 5th Ave., New York, NY 'Foreshadow'
​2021 Society of Animal Artists Animal Impressions Show, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, 'Winter Blue Jay'
​2021 Hudson Valley Art Association 88th Annual Exhibition, Lyme Art Association, Old Lyme, CT, 'Soft White'
2021 Academic Artists Association 71st Annual Exhibition of Traditional Realism, 'A Softer Side'
​2021 American Women Artists, Lifting the Sky National Online Juried Show. 'Pie Birds'
​2020 Richerson75, Animals, Birds and Wildlife Finalist, 'Soft White'
2020 Audubon Artists 78th Annual Exhibition, Online 'Pie Birds'
2020 American Women Artists Spring Online Juried Show, 'Soft White'
2020 Academic Artist's 70th Annual National Exhibition of Traditional Realism, 'Soft White'
​2019 Audubon Artists 77th Annual Exhibition, Salmagundi Club, 47 5th Ave., New York, NY 'Soft White'
​2019 59th Annual Exhibition of the Society of Animal Artists, The Briscoe Western Art Museum, El Paso, TX 'Pie Birds'
2019 Academic Artists 69th Annual National Exhibition of Traditional Realism, Vernon, CT 'Foreshadow'
​2018 Kentucky National Wildlife Art Exhibit, Henderson, KY "Repose" & 'Red-tailed Hawk'
2018 9th Annual Nature and Wildlife Exhibit, St. Augustine Art Association, St Augustine, FL 'Winter Blue Jay'
2018 85th Annual Juried Exhibition of the Hudson Valley Art Association, Lyme Art Association, Old Lyme, CT 'Foreshadow'
2018 58th Annual Exhibition of the Society of Animal Artists, The James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art, St Petersburg, FL 'Soft White'
2018 Academic Artists 68th Annual National Exhibition of Traditional Realism, Vernon, CT 'On The Edge'
2017 8th Annual Nature & Wildlife Exhibit, St. Augustine Art Association, St. Augustine, FL, 'In the Spotlight'
2017 42nd Annual Birds In Art Exhibition, Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, WI, 'Foreshadow'
2017 Wildscapes, The Bennington Center for the Arts, Bennington, VT, 'Winter Blue Jay'
2017 Black and White, The Bennington Center for the Arts, Bennington, VT, 'Snowy Perch'
2017 Small Works, The Bennington Center for the Arts, Bennington, VT, 'Fall Feast'
2017 Academic Artists 67th Annual National Exhibition of Traditional Realism, 'In The Spotlight', Vernon, CT (Blick Art Materials Award)
2016 Pencil Art Society, International Open Juried Exhibition, Ottawa, ON, 'The Prize'
2016 Academic Artists 66th Annual National Exhibition of Traditional Realism, 'Crabapple Harvest', Vernon, CT
2016 Small Works, Bennington Center For The Arts, Bennington, VT , 'Precocious Pig'
2015 Richeson 75 Animals, Birds and Wildlife International Competition"; 'In the Spotlight' (finalist), 'On the Edge' (finalist), 'The Keen Observer' (finalist) and 'Splash' (meritorious)
2015 87th Grand National Exhibition", American Artist's Professional League (AAPL), Salmagundi Club, 47 Fifth Ave., New York, NY, 'Three's a Pear'
2015 Pencil Art Society, Online Members Juried Exhibition, , 'On the Edge' and 'In the Spotlight'.
2015 Laumeister Fine Art Competition, Bennington Center for the Arts, Bennington, VT, 'On the Edge' and 'In the Spotlight'.
2015 Art of the Animal Kingdom XX, Bennington Center For the Arts, Bennington, VT, 'The Eyes Have It' and 'The Prize'
2014 AAPL 86th Grand National Exhibition, Salmagundi Club, 47 Fifth Ave., New York, NY, 'Crabapple Harvest'.
2014 Pencil Art Society, International Open Juried Exhibition, The Repentigny Exhibition Center, Repentigny, Quebec, 'Black-capped Chickadee', 'Getting A Hand Out' and 'Tulip'.
2014 54th Annual Exhibition of the Society of Animal Artists, The Wildlife Experience in Parker, CO, 'Splash'
2014 Small Works, Bennington Center For The Arts, Bennington, VT, 'Ely'
2014 Art of the Animal Kingdom XIX, Bennington Center For The Arts, Bennington, VT, 'Golden Gaze'
2013 Laumeister Fine Art Competition, Bennington Center For the Arts, Bennington, VT, 'Crabapple Harvest'
2013 Small Works, Bennington Center For the Arts, Bennington< VT , 'Splash'