wildscape. literary journal

Janet is our featured artist of Issue 5. Below is her art piece “Spirit Fairy” and information on the piece, and beneath that, a series of questions and responses between Janet and our Editor-in-Chief, Ophelia Monet.

Title: Spirit Fairy // Artist: Janet Cooke

about the piece

On the grounds of Wiawaka Center for Women on Lake George, New York, an idyllic artists’ retreat where Georgia O’Keeffe once painted, there stands a miniature statue of a fairy who seems to guard the lake and radiate protective energy. I captured this lovely garden ornament in pastel one blazingly hot summer afternoon, and fell in love with her sweet face and timeless nature. For me, she symbolizes female creativity, strength, and spirit.   12” x 9” soft pastel on pastelbord

Interview with Janet

Ophelia: At what point in your life did you realize art was something you enjoyed doing? Was there a specific person, event, or mentor(s) that helped you see that it was a calling?

Janet: I wasn’t the typical kid drawing and painting from an early age.  I was raised in the New York City school system and don’t recall having much of an opportunity to take art after the third grade or so. We were much more of a musical family anyway and my sisters and brothers and I all sang in the children’s chorus at the Metropolitan Opera and played piano and danced.  I thought if anything I’d be a musician, and have been an amateur pianist and singer all my life.  

I majored in English in college and went into book publishing.  I was in my early twenties when DRAWING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BRAIN came out and became a bestseller.  I bought a copy and realized I was pretty good at drawing, and even bought an easel and some paints, but never used them much because I was focused on my career and then raising my children. I was 61 years old and retired before I finally took a formal drawing class and fell in love with art.  It’s never too late to try new things.  

Ophelia: What are your preferred methods and mediums when creating art? Do you usually go into it with a plan or idea, or do you just begin and see where it leads?

Janet: I almost exclusively paint in oils, and only use pastels when I paint plein air because they are easier to manage outside the studio.  I have a very good idea of what I want to paint before I begin. I mostly paint landscapes and spend a lot of time taking pictures and deciding on the composition before a brush ever hits the canvas.  I especially love painting skies.  My aim is never to replicate exactly what I see but to push color just enough to bring a bit of magic to the scene. I tend to paint loosely and quickly, listening to music and singing all the while, which is effective in keeping me out of my left brain during the process. 


Ophelia: When did you begin submitting your art to literary outlets (journals, magazines, etc.)? What made you decide to start submitting your work?

Janet: I spent decades working in publishing and always recognized the value of being published in literary journals. At my retirement party I was given a lovely Tiffany pen as a gift and thought I might use it to write some poetry or finish a memoir I had abandoned in 2012.  When I started showing my art in galleries and other exhibit spaces at the beginning of 2024 I thought it would be good to submit to journals as well. I was delighted to discover and get my first acceptance from wildscape lit! 


Ophelia: I absolutely adore your art. You’ve had work published in multiple wildscape issues now, and each piece is uniquely beautiful. What do you hope to accomplish when others view your work? What emotion or feeling do you hope to invoke, when your art is viewed? 

Janet: Thank you for your kind words and continued support!

I grew up surrounded by concrete and bricks in the middle of chaotic, noisy Manhattan. I was bullied a lot as a kid and stayed indoors most of the time.  Luckily we happened to have a spectacular view facing west and caught the most glorious sunsets. I can’t tell you how many hours I whiled away gazing at clouds, feeling calmed and nurtured by the sky.  I want people to feel that same healing power when they look at my paintings. I want my art to be serene, tranquil, and serve as an antidote to everyday stress and mayhem. 


Ophelia: What are your ultimate dreams and goals, as an artist? Is there anything in particular you hope to accomplish and/or make?

Janet: I was thrilled earlier this year to be inducted into the National Association of Women Artists as a Signature Member. That was enormously encouraging and validating for me, an artist who discovered their craft so late in life.  

And I would love one day to be accepted into a national show with the Oil Painters of America.  That would be incredible!

Somewhere along the line, though, on this bumpy artistic journey that I’m on, I decided that no matter what, whether any particular external validation of my work happens or not, my ultimate goal is to feel love at the easel—to paint every stroke of the brush with freedom and warmth. As long as I do that, I’m happy and fulfilled. 

about the artist // Janet Cooke