Carlyn Janus a Chicago/Brooklyn independent artist and a graduate of The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her focus is acrylic and mixed media painting on canvas and paper, specializing in abstracted landscapes and mid-century modern inspired graphic forms.
She has been working professionally within many art fields, including fine art restoration, graphic design, and interior design, for over 20 years. Her career as a full-time fine art painter started in 2012. Her work is abstract in nature, often mixing the organic elements of her surroundings with surreal, dream-like textures and layers.
In her own words… “I am deeply tied to nature and the environment, not just through my painting themes, but also through my personal use of plant-based products and efforts towards a low-waste lifestyle — living and working with a conscious effort towards conservation and renewable resources.”
Her work can be found in private collections throughout North America.
E D U C A T I O N
2003 - 2008 | B.F.A in Mixed Media + Design | The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. IL.
2009 | Certified in Fine Art Restoration by Adele F. Pruitt - BL Haymond, Ukiah, CA.
W O R K H I S T O R Y
2012 - Present | Independent Fine Art Painter
2008 - 2016 | Freelance Artist | Restoration Specialist, Graphic Designer & Film Production
2010 - 2015 | Merchandise Buyer & Media Designer | STITCH, Chicago, IL.
S O L O E X H I B I T I O N S
2018 & 2021 | Featured Artist | First Friday Show | Kennedy Gallery, Portsmouth, NH.
2015 | Light & Shadow | Art Post Gallery, Northbrook, IL.
G R O U P E X H I B I T I O N S
2021 | Spring + Fall Shows | Selected Artist | Affordable Art Fair | New York, NY.
2020 | Selected Artist | Postponed - Superfine Art Fair | New York, NY.
2012 - 2019 | Spring + Fall Shows | Featured Artist | Art Post Gallery, Northbrook, IL.
2017 - 2019 | Spring + Fall shows | Selected Artist | The Other Art Fair, Brooklyn, NY.
2018 | Featured Artist & Speaker | Unveiling Event | Claro Healthcare, Chicago, IL.
2018 | Selected Artist | “Focus: Landscape & Architecture” | Black Box Gallery, Portland, OR.
2017 | Featured Artist | Designer Showcase House | Lake Forest, IL.
2016 | Featured Artist | Designer Showcase House | Lake Forest, IL.
2015 | Selected Artist | Show of Hands | Chicago, IL.
2014 | Selected Artist | Spring Fever | Deerpath Art League, Lake Forest, IL.
P U B L I C A T I O N S
2019 | “Meet Carlyn Janus ” | VoyageATL
2017 | “Faces Behind the Campaign” by Anouka Pedley-Egan | Canvas, a Blog by Saatchi Art |
2017 | “Up-and-Comers” | NS Modern Luxury Magazine
2014 | “Summer Stroll” by Sherry Thomas | NS Modern Luxury Magazine
Painting is an art form that has spanned innumerable cultures, with artists using the medium to tell stories, explore and communicate ideas and express themselves. To bring abstract paintings, landscape paintings, still-life paintings and other original paintings into your home is to celebrate and share in the long tradition of this discipline.
When we look at paintings, particularly those that originated in the past, we learn about history, other cultures and countries of the world. Like every other work of art, paintings — whether they are contemporary creations or works that were made during the 19th century — can often help us clearly see and understand the world around us in a meaningful and interesting way.
Cave walls were the canvases for what were arguably the world’s first landscape paintings, which depict natural scenery through art. Portrait paintings and drawings, which, along with sculpture, were how someone’s appearance was recorded prior to the advent of photography, are at least as old as Ancient Egypt. In the Netherlands, landscapes were a major theme for painters as early as the 1500s. Later, artists in Greece, Rome and elsewhere created vast wall paintings to decorate stately homes, churches and tombs.
Today, creating a wall of art is a wonderful way to enhance your space, showcase beautiful pieces and tie an interior design together.
No matter your preference, whether you favor Post-Impressionist paintings, animal paintings, Surrealism, Pop art or another movement or specific period, arranging art on a blank wall allows you to evoke emotions in a room while also showing off your tastes and interests. A symmetrical wall arrangement may comprise a grid of four to six pieces or, for an odd number of works, a horizontal row. Asymmetrical arrangements, which may be small clusters of art or large, salon-style gallery walls, have a more collected and eclectic feel.
Download the 1stDibs app, which includes a handy “View on Wall” feature that allows you to see how a particular artwork will look on a particular wall, and read about how to arrange wall art. And if you’re searching for the perfect palette for your interior design project, what better place to turn than to the art world’s masters of color?
On 1stDibs, you’ll find an expansive collection of paintings and other fine art for your home or office. Browse abstract paintings, portrait paintings, paintings by emerging artists and more today.