"Rachel seamlessly combines a vintage aesthetic with contemporary technology and technique to respond to the world around her. The results are timeless images that hint at sensorial memories of beaches and island life." - Lisa Qualls, Artist, Gallery Owner, Curator
About the Artist
“Rachel Wiley-Janota (b.1985) is an award winning visual artist working primarily in mixed media painting and film photography.
Artist and mother, Wiley-Janota spends most of her time working from her studio on the Texas Gulf Coast with her two young sons and husband. She is known for her Gulf Coast landscapes, with her focus on local salt marshes and clouded skies, as she often views from her kayak. Wiley-Janota divides her time between art-making and motherhood, traveling together to paint and explore, from the coasts of the Gulf of Mexico to the deserts and mountains of West Texas. Painting plein air is an important and favorite part of her process in order to capture the energy and colors of the changing light of the outdoors. Much of the year, however, she spends her time indoors, studying smaller paintings and photographs she has made to create larger works in her studio.
Wiley-Janota's paintings can be found in private collections around the world. She is represented by her family’s fine art gallery, Rene Wiley Gallery, on Galveston Island, Texas, where she also enjoys working with other artists in her community a few days a month. While traveling, she captures everyday American landscapes from the road through film photography and collects paper ephemera and vintage photographs to use in her mixed media works.”
Artist Statement & Bio
"As a visual artist for so many years now, it gets harder to use words to describe what motivates me to keep obsessively capturing and creating from the sky and landscape. I feel fortunate to live on the Texas coast, with its endless changes in weather and clouds and colors that drift or storm across the landscape that I love. To live at the edge of the sea and enjoy its many treasures is a borrowed gift, tragedy and destruction are always close. I never forget this delicate balance, and I am so grateful for where I get to create every day. I look up at the sky each morning and thank God for being able to make studying it my life's work. I am constantly inspired to celebrate and share what I capture with others who understand my joy for this place.
I love to use all kinds of media and paint, and experimenting with endless combinations of them drives my enthusiasm for my work. I’m attracted to both intuitive and analytical decision making in my art-making process, and I try to let the energy and evidence of both remain in my finished works. Seeing the hand of other artists in work is most interesting to me and I want to create while celebrating mark-making as well. In most of my works I want to combine representational forms with a sensitivity to subtle color and texture, embracing both spontaneity and discipline in my process for both photographs and paintings.
There are often numerous stories within my works, some I've intended and expected, but others left as unknown connections discovered by those that experience them. I love how stories tend to stick with us, and how they can influence the way we see the world. So I’ve intended for my works to somehow be both intimate and universal in this way. Hopefully my work can offer an escape from our fast-moving world, a still moment of connection, to both our human history and to the natural world that surrounds us.
I am the daughter of an artist and an outdoorsman, granddaughter of an artist and world travelers, and now a mother of two young boys and wife of a Texas Park Ranger. I grew up in the piney woods of East Texas but was always making trips to lakes, hunting properties or the ocean with my dad, or traveling to study art and history in Europe, the Southwest and Mexico with my mom. Getting up early to go fishing, hunting or travel are some of my favorite childhood memories, and it has had a profound effect on me. I wanted to be a scientist from very young, well first a horse trainer, then a mermaid, and then a shark biologist, but eventually I realized I was an artist who wanted to travel to study and celebrate the natural world. I am able to do that now in my daily life living on the coast, taking my family with me as often as I can put a trip together to go paint a different natural landscape.
My intention as an artist, in whatever media I choose, is to reveal and share new ways of seeing the overlooked in our everyday lives, highlighting the magic in the mundane. I'm attempting to thoughtfully see, create, and share as much as possible in the short life that I’ve been given, and I aspire to reflect the sincerity of all of these interests in my diverse body of work.”
Certifications:
TWIC card, Transportation Worker Identification Credential, security clearance for maritime industry property and coastal commissions.
Selected Awards:
International Art Consortium Award, University of West Bohemia, Plzen Czech Republic, Hunting Art Prize Finalist 2012 and 2013, and Honor Student of the Year, Fine Art Department at University of Houston Clear Lake, published photographer, Seities Magazine, Calgary, Alberta
Curriculum Vitae
Solo Exhibitions:
2024 Solo Show Scheduled at Rene Wiley Gallery, Oct. 2023
2023 WESTERN HORIZONS: from the West End to Big Bend & Beyond, Rene Wiley Gallery (Oct. 2023)
2022 FRESH CATCH, René Wiley Gallery, Galveston, TX (Oct. 2022)
2021 Golden Gulf Coast, René Wiley Gallery, Galveston, TX (Oct. 2021)
2020 On the Horizon, René Wiley Gallery, Galveston, TX (Oct. 2020)
2019 SALT + SKY, René Wiley Gallery, Galveston, TX (Oct. 2019)
2018 The Menagerie: Landscapes + Stories, René Wiley Gallery, Galveston, TX (Oct. 2018)
2017 End of the Road: Retro Galveston Lost and Found, René Wiley Gallery (October 14, 2017)
2016 born of the sky, René Wiley Gallery, Galveston, TX ( October 7, 2016-November 26, 2016)
2015 Eventide: René Wiley Gallery, Galveston, TX (October 10 – November 24, 2015)
2015 instant diaries: polaroids & paintings, Gallery Jatad, at Bosta Coffee & Wine, Houston, TX,
(April 25 – July 25, 2015)
2014 New Landscapes: René Wiley Gallery, Galveston, TX
(October 11 – November 24, 2014)
2014 aeonian echoes, FotoFest International Exhibit, Gallery Jatad, Houston, TX (March 13 - April 26)
2013 ceremonies of the air: peripheral views of galveston island,
René Wiley Gallery, Galveston, TX (October 5 - November 24, 2013)
Awards/Honors/Scholarships:
2017 Commissioned to paint the USS Gabrielle Giffords Naval Ship, Galveston, TX
2014 Honor Student of the Year in Fine Arts, University of Houston-Clear Lake, Houston, TX
Honorable Mention, 2014 BFA Juried Exhibition, University of Houston-Clear Lake
2013 Hunting Art Prize Finalist 2013, Hunting PLC, Houston, TX
2012 Hunting Art Prize Finalist 2012, Hunting PLC, Houston, TX
International Art Consortium Award, University of West Bohemia, Plzen, Czech Republic
International Education Fee Award Scholarship, University of Houston-Clear Lake, Houston, TX
2011 Best of Show Award, 2011 Winter Juried Exhibition, The Arts Alliance Center, Clear Lake, TX
2009 Dean's Award Scholarship, University of Houston-Clear Lake, Houston, TX
2008 People's Choice Award, Fall 2008 Juried Student Show, College of the Mainland, Texas City, TX
2003 Academic Scholarship, University of St. Thomas, Houston, TX
Education:
2015 Bachelors of Fine Arts, University of Houston Clear Lake (scheduled)
Studied under Jason Makepeace, Sandria Hu, Nick DeVries, Matthew Linton
2012 University of West Bohemia, Plzen, Czech Republic
Associate of Visual Arts, College of the Mainland, Texas City, TX
Studied under Mark Greenwalt
2011 Associate of Art, Galveston College, Galveston, TX
2004 Glassell School of Art, The Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Houston, TX
2004 University of St. Thomas, Houston, TX
Two Person Exhibition:
2018-2019 Bill Meek Studio & Gallery, Houston, TX (Nov. 30 - Jan 18)
2014 Georgetown Arts Center with Rene Wiley, Georgetown, TX, (July 25 – August 31)
Selected Group Exhibitions:
2012-2023 Group Exhibitions for ArtWalk, every six weeks at René Wiley Gallery, Galveston, Texas
2016 Mementos: Winter Juried Exhibition, Cannon Beach Gallery, Cannon Beach, Oregon
2015 Rockin Rollin Prints Juried Exhibition, Print Matters, Williams Tower, Houston, TX
Winged Galveston: 2015 Group Exhibition, René Wiley Gallery, Galveston, TX
Barrier Island: 2015 Group Exhibition, René Wiley Gallery, Galveston, TX
2014 2014 Bachelors of Fine Arts Juried Exhibition, University of Houston Clear Lake, Houston, Texas
Oh Snap 2, Juried Exhibition of Cell Phone Photography, College of the Mainland Art Gallery
Seities STREETS issue, Photography Publication Launch & Exhibition ,
Shelf Life Books, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
When They Roll Up The Sidewalks, Group Exhibition, University of Houston at Clear Lake, TX
2013 TWELVE, Group Exhibition of Photography, July 13, 2013, The Grand 1894 Opera House
Summer Reflections, Group Exhibition, May 31 - July 12, 2013, René Wiley Gallery, Galveston
2013 Hunting Art Prize Gala, May 4, 2013, Friedkin Companies Campus, Houston, TX
Foggy Illuminations, January 2013 Group Exhibition, René Wiley Gallery, Galveston, TX
2012 2012 Hunting Art Prize Gala, April 28 2012, Friedkin Companies Campus, Houston, TX
Summer Light, 2012 Group Exhibition, René Wiley Gallery, Galveston, TX
Oh Snap, 2012 Juried Photography Exhibition, College of The Mainland Art Gallery, Texas City,
Light and Water, 2012 Group Exhibition, René Wiley Gallery, Galveston, TX
2011 Winter Juried Exhibition, Juror: Nina Makepeace,The Arts Alliance Center at Clear Lake
Fall Juried Student Show, College of the Mainland Art Gallery, Texas City, TX
Night and Day, 2011 Group Exhibition, René Wiley Gallery, Galveston, TX
2008 Fall 2008 Juried Student Show, College of the Mainland Art Gallery, Texas City, TX
Publications:
2023 "Inside the Artist’s Studio," Galveston Monthly Magazine, October 2023
2023 Galveston Monthly Magazine, Cover Image, October 2023
2022 Galveston Monthly Magazine, Cover Image, November 2022
2022 Galveston Monthly Magazine, Cover Image, June 2022
2022 Soaking It Up, Coast Monthly, May 2022
2021 Luxe Interiors + Design Magazine, May/June, RED Award National Winner, LJ Designs
2021 Galveston Monthly Magazine, Cover Image, May 2021
2021 Interview with Upcoming Artists, January 2021
2019 We're Lucky, Coast Monthly Magazine, August 2019
2018 Galveston Monthly Magazine, Cover Image, November 2018
Galveston Monthly Magazine, Cover Image, July 2018
2016 A Family Tradition, Coast Monthly Magazine, August 2016
2015 Galveston Monthly Magazine, cover image, September 2015
2014 aeonian echoes, Gallery Jatad, 2014 catalog of exhibition images, Houston, TX
Culture Scene, Houston Chronicle, April 10, 2014, Houston, TX
THEME:STREETS SEITIES no. 003, Winter 13/14, Juried Publication, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Shallow Dance, Matty Sullivan, collection of essays, selected cover image
Inspired by Marfa, Students Create Their Own Art Haven, Kallie Hayde,
The Signal Newspaper,University of Houston-Clear Lake, Page 7.
2013 Featured Artist, Donna Gable Hatch, Galveston Monthly Magazine, October 2014 Issue, Pages 48-50.
2013 Treasures Magazine, Art & Life in Galveston County, First Edition 2013, Fischer Bessi, Page 13.
2012 Alliance Provides Forum for Artists, Lori Meeks, Houston Chronicle, January 3, Vol. 70, Page 8B.
Volunteer Service:
2015-2016 Seeding Galveston, Urban Garden & Food Bank Donations, Galveston, TX
2013-2016 Galveston Humane Society, Galveston, TX
2014-2016 Ronald McDonald House, Galveston, TX
2010-2012 Volunteer Biologist Aide, The Rainforest at Moody Gardens, Galveston, TX
2009-2010 Art Teacher, Sunshine Center, Galveston Arts Center, Galveston, TX
2007-2008 Volunteer Biologist Aide, The Aquarium and The Rainforest at Moody Gardens, Galveston, TX
Professional Experience:
2009-Current Gallery Assistant, René Wiley Gallery, Galveston, TX
2008-Current Private Painting Instructor, Rachel Wiley-Janota Fine Art, Galveston, TX
2011-2015 “Art for All” Education Outreach Instructor, Galveston Arts Center, Galveston, TX
2010-2012 Galveston Arts Columnist, The Parrot Newspaper, Galveston, TX
2004-2012 Office Manager, Dr. Richard C. Ressling, D.D.S. Inc., Houston, TX
Charitable Donations of Artworks 2013-2019:
Galveston Historical Foundation, 1877 Tall Ship Elissa
Galveston ISD Educational Foundation
Ronald McDonald House of Galveston
Galveston Island Humane Society
Galveston Chapter AAZK
Galveston’s Seafarers Center
Galveston Island Nature Tourism Council
Muscular Dystrophy Association Houston
Galveston Island’s Own Farmers Market
Galveston Island’s Lifeguards
Coastal Conservation Association of Galveston
Galveston Island Tree Conservancy
Moody Methodist Church
SMART Family Literacy
Galveston Art Center
Family Service Center of Galveston
May/June 2021 - Luxe Interiors + Design Magazine, RED Award National Winner, LJ Designs
October 2023 - Galveston Monthly Magazine Interview
Inside the Artist's StudioAn intimate look into the working practices of local artist Rachel Wiley-Janota
By Donna Gable Hatch
" The work of Galveston artist Rachel Wiley-Janota, who is renowned for her mastery in producing mixed-media paintings, canvas giclée prints, and photography, is featured at this month’s ArtWalk at René Wiley Gallery. The free self-guided event, which is Saturday, October 7, spotlights Galveston’s downtown art galleries, studios, and exhibits within Galveston's historic district.
“I love to use all kinds of media and paint, and to experiment with endless combinations of them, drives my enthusiasm for the work. I’m attracted to both intuitive and analytical decision making in my art-making process, and I try to let the energy and evidence of both remain in my finished works,” said Wiley-Janota, who now resides in rural Galveston County with her husband, a Texas Park Ranger, and their two young boys.
“In most of my work, I combine representational forms with a sensitivity to subtle color and texture. I embrace both spontaneity and discipline in my process for photographs and paintings.”
A true nomad of creative expression, her latest exhibit is titled, “Western Horizons” and is born from a recent sojourn from Texas to Oregon.
“This new body of work includes subjects much farther west than I usually paint. I have taken thousands of photographs on this last trip that will be the basis of my new paintings. I usually focus on deserted, vernacular subjects under the vastness of the sky, but this trip had so many stops and therefore so many different kinds of subjects and layers. It was such a treat to capture it all from the road.”
A captivating blend of painting and photography, her work beautifully bridges the realms of parenthood and creativity.
She roams the landscape, often with her family in tow, with an unwavering commitment to capturing life's fleeting moments through her lens, carrying a camera as a constant companion.
“My husband drives almost the entire time on these trips, so I can photograph even while we drive. This is such a thrill and luxury for me. I am very grateful for him.”
One will always find at least one notebook and graphite pencils in her backpack so she’s ready to sketch her observations at any given moment.
“My studio is everywhere; I bring it with me. My home studio, where I am so lucky to have great indoor and outdoor spaces, is always a mess. There are so many layers of projects and paintings,” she said, adding that her sons have their own area within her studio where they can work as well.
“I don’t keep things neat and tidy. That is very much like me--mostly chaos and creativity. I’m not into order. I just clean up for art openings.”
Her artistic arsenal is as diverse as her experiences. She deftly navigates a range of mediums, from the delicate strokes of watercolors and inks to the bold textures of acrylics and oils. Unconventional in her approach, she sometimes incorporates beeswax, encaustic, and gold leaf into her pieces, lending them an otherworldly luminance.
Her choice of canvases is equally eclectic, switching between watercolor papers, hardwood boards, and canvases with ease. Her tools are her instruments of alchemy: putty knives, paper towels, wash brushes, spray bottles with water or alcohol, and, on occasion, a hot plate, sandpaper, or even a blow torch to coax her visions into existence. Through her artistic adventures, she transforms ordinary moments into extraordinary works of art, a true testament to her boundless creativity and adventurous spirit.
“I grew up in the piney woods of East Texas but was always making trips to lakes, hunting properties or the ocean with my dad, or traveling to study art and history in Europe, the Southwest, and Mexico with my mom,” said Wiley-Janota.
She is one of three artistic sisters: Samantha Wiley, who works in commission oil portraits and photography; and Sarah (Wiley) Thomas, a portrait photographer and realist oil painter.
Her parents, Ben Wiley, a passionate outdoors enthusiast, and René Wiley, a renowned and highly esteemed Galveston artist, are the proprietors of the René Wiley Gallery situated in the charming historic district of Galveston Island.
Her grandparents, the late Janet Clugston-Ressling, a talented artist, and Dr. Richard C. Ressling, an accomplished orthodontist, were well-traveled individuals, and their family frequently joined them on global journeys.
“Getting up early to go fishing, hunting, or traveling are some of my favorite childhood memories, and it has had a profound effect on me. I’m always chasing the sky or relics or treasure of some kind, by car or by kayak.”
Her knack for crafting art in unconventional settings infuses her work with a sense of urgency, encapsulating her emotions and the atmosphere of the moment.
For her, art is a way of documenting and celebrating these small joys, a way to be mindful of the moment and find beauty even in the midst of life's stresses and frustrations.
“When my boys were small, and they’d fall asleep in their car seat. I’d drive onto the beach at East Beach or Jamaica Beach and just sit in my car and paint the landscape, sand, waves, and sky from there,” she said.
“I have a whole mobile studio in my car that I’ve had for many years. We all paint together in the car sometimes now, when it’s too cold or the wind is too strong. Being able to just stop and paint is one of my favorite things to do. The back of my van has room for everything and even shade from the sun, so I position myself to paint with it or have a fishing buggy to haul my painting supplies a short distance.”
She believes in harnessing and manifesting joy while creating and sharing her art in galleries.
“This year, we drove back from Oregon to Texas together and spent days on the road in the desert towns of Nevada and New Mexico. This new show of mixed media paintings celebrates the sky over the places that renew the spirit for me and many others,” she said.
“The open skies are painted from deserts and deserted coastlines, combining vintage aesthetics of lost motels and forgotten places, while viewed from the roads connecting them. The new works have a dreamlike quality to them, blending together like memories from time on the road.”
Since returning, she’s been focusing on a project in her studio where she explores the creation of paint using rocks she and her family gathered from their travels. Wiley-Janota meticulously grinds these collected rocks into fine powders, each carrying the essence of the landscapes she traversed.
She blends these pigments with carefully selected binders, breathing life into homemade paints that encapsulate the beauty and mystique of her cross-country odyssey, ready to adorn her canvases with the essence of her travels.
“I usually paint these places, but now I’m going to make paintings with that paint that contains elements of those places. It's been very rewarding so far and I hope to continue working towards a body of work of it.”
In the creation of her work, she employs Polaroids, which encompass a sense of nostalgia, dreaminess, and tangible remembrances all rolled into one. The artist's fascination lies in the nostalgic aspects of childhood recollections, as well as the lives of her forebears, spanning generations.
These reminiscences often resemble memories or dreams, even though she wasn't physically present. Yet, she maintains a profound connection to them through the medium of photography.
Her passion extends to narratives crafted by songwriters, filmmakers, and poets - anything that intricately captures a specific moment in time or an entire era. This passion offers a form of fantasy or an avenue for escapism, akin to the enchantment a remarkable film can provide.
She revels in the fusion of time, memory, and reality, artfully infusing vintage aesthetics, including dilapidated motels, weathered storms, and forsaken locales, into her work.
“I think it's the two sides of myself that find comfort in this imagery. I love the imagined stories, both fiction and journals, of people who really did spend time on the road,” she said.
“I don’t like feeling stuck in one place and want to feel the freedom of seeing new things and meeting new people while traveling and being on the road. I’m always kind of treasure hunting.”
She firmly holds a distaste for routine, finding excessive repetition and predictability unbearably dull. Nevertheless, she nurtures a profound affection and an innate yearning for the comforting and familiar atmosphere of her home.
Each morning, she longs for the soothing warmth and the meticulous routine of preparing her coffee just the way she likes it, complete with the perfect foam in her cherished cup. She takes pleasure in waking up gradually to the sounds of the world beyond her window, whether it's the gentle rustling of her garden or the tranquil presence of nearby water.
Her heart is deeply rooted in her abode, a treasure trove of eclectic discoveries - fabrics, books, photographs, rocks, artwork, bones, and a variety of materials.
“I’m a nurturer, a mother, a lover, a loner. But also, a bit too impulsive, extremely nostalgic, and quite often feel the weight of the sadness of the world. I can feel great joy and great sadness at the same time,” she said.
“My dueling sides are always battling for peace within me. I struggle with these things daily and creating really helps me work through them. I want to be the best mother to my children, but I also want to be true to myself and my interests in things outside of being brought down with the hardships and stresses of our day-to-day lives.”
Her goal as an artist, regardless of the medium, is to uncover and present fresh perspectives on the often-unnoticed aspects of our daily existence, emphasizing the enchantment within the ordinary and even the mundane.
“I'm attempting to thoughtfully see, create, and share as much as possible in the short life that I’ve been given, and I aspire to reflect the sincerity of all of these interests in my diverse body of work,” Wiley-Janota said.
Her creations frequently contain multiple narratives, some that the artist has deliberately crafted and anticipated, while others remain as uncharted links waiting to be unearthed by those who encounter them.
“I’ve intended for my works to somehow be both intimate and universal in this way. Hopefully, my work can offer an escape from our fast-moving world, a still moment of connection, to both our human history and to the natural world that surrounds us.”
She considers herself lucky to reside along the Texas coastline, where she can experience the ever-shifting weather, dynamic cloud formations, and the diverse palette of colors that gracefully move or sweep across the cherished landscape she adores.
“I love finding labyrinths in the sand at the beach lately, and knowing there are women having full moon ceremonies at night and building them there to celebrate,” she said, adding that life, with its moments of heartbreak and unbridled joy, is akin to living along the coast, which delivers both breathtaking natural beauty and the ever-present threat of relentless tides and hurricanes on the horizon.
“To live at the edge of the sea and enjoy its many treasures is a borrowed gift - tragedy and destruction are always close. I never forget this delicate balance, and I am so grateful for where I get to create every day,” she said.
Nonetheless, the call of wanderlust persists, urging her to set forth once more in pursuit of new adventures.
“It is very important to me to create as therapy for myself and to be a source of beauty and joy for others in pain. To be able to work through the difficulties and pain in life is the goal,” she said.
“I must paint, I must go out and seek the sky and the treasures of the sea and those desert roads, transforming pain into beauty - because that is the magic of paint and how I measure my success as a painter.” Rachel’s works can be found at René Wiley Studio & Gallery, 2128 Postoffice Street in downtown Galveston. For more on Rachel visit www.rachelwiley.com.
Inside the Artist's StudioAn intimate look into the working practices of local artist Rachel Wiley-Janota
By Donna Gable Hatch
" The work of Galveston artist Rachel Wiley-Janota, who is renowned for her mastery in producing mixed-media paintings, canvas giclée prints, and photography, is featured at this month’s ArtWalk at René Wiley Gallery. The free self-guided event, which is Saturday, October 7, spotlights Galveston’s downtown art galleries, studios, and exhibits within Galveston's historic district.
“I love to use all kinds of media and paint, and to experiment with endless combinations of them, drives my enthusiasm for the work. I’m attracted to both intuitive and analytical decision making in my art-making process, and I try to let the energy and evidence of both remain in my finished works,” said Wiley-Janota, who now resides in rural Galveston County with her husband, a Texas Park Ranger, and their two young boys.
“In most of my work, I combine representational forms with a sensitivity to subtle color and texture. I embrace both spontaneity and discipline in my process for photographs and paintings.”
A true nomad of creative expression, her latest exhibit is titled, “Western Horizons” and is born from a recent sojourn from Texas to Oregon.
“This new body of work includes subjects much farther west than I usually paint. I have taken thousands of photographs on this last trip that will be the basis of my new paintings. I usually focus on deserted, vernacular subjects under the vastness of the sky, but this trip had so many stops and therefore so many different kinds of subjects and layers. It was such a treat to capture it all from the road.”
A captivating blend of painting and photography, her work beautifully bridges the realms of parenthood and creativity.
She roams the landscape, often with her family in tow, with an unwavering commitment to capturing life's fleeting moments through her lens, carrying a camera as a constant companion.
“My husband drives almost the entire time on these trips, so I can photograph even while we drive. This is such a thrill and luxury for me. I am very grateful for him.”
One will always find at least one notebook and graphite pencils in her backpack so she’s ready to sketch her observations at any given moment.
“My studio is everywhere; I bring it with me. My home studio, where I am so lucky to have great indoor and outdoor spaces, is always a mess. There are so many layers of projects and paintings,” she said, adding that her sons have their own area within her studio where they can work as well.
“I don’t keep things neat and tidy. That is very much like me--mostly chaos and creativity. I’m not into order. I just clean up for art openings.”
Her artistic arsenal is as diverse as her experiences. She deftly navigates a range of mediums, from the delicate strokes of watercolors and inks to the bold textures of acrylics and oils. Unconventional in her approach, she sometimes incorporates beeswax, encaustic, and gold leaf into her pieces, lending them an otherworldly luminance.
Her choice of canvases is equally eclectic, switching between watercolor papers, hardwood boards, and canvases with ease. Her tools are her instruments of alchemy: putty knives, paper towels, wash brushes, spray bottles with water or alcohol, and, on occasion, a hot plate, sandpaper, or even a blow torch to coax her visions into existence. Through her artistic adventures, she transforms ordinary moments into extraordinary works of art, a true testament to her boundless creativity and adventurous spirit.
“I grew up in the piney woods of East Texas but was always making trips to lakes, hunting properties or the ocean with my dad, or traveling to study art and history in Europe, the Southwest, and Mexico with my mom,” said Wiley-Janota.
She is one of three artistic sisters: Samantha Wiley, who works in commission oil portraits and photography; and Sarah (Wiley) Thomas, a portrait photographer and realist oil painter.
Her parents, Ben Wiley, a passionate outdoors enthusiast, and René Wiley, a renowned and highly esteemed Galveston artist, are the proprietors of the René Wiley Gallery situated in the charming historic district of Galveston Island.
Her grandparents, the late Janet Clugston-Ressling, a talented artist, and Dr. Richard C. Ressling, an accomplished orthodontist, were well-traveled individuals, and their family frequently joined them on global journeys.
“Getting up early to go fishing, hunting, or traveling are some of my favorite childhood memories, and it has had a profound effect on me. I’m always chasing the sky or relics or treasure of some kind, by car or by kayak.”
Her knack for crafting art in unconventional settings infuses her work with a sense of urgency, encapsulating her emotions and the atmosphere of the moment.
For her, art is a way of documenting and celebrating these small joys, a way to be mindful of the moment and find beauty even in the midst of life's stresses and frustrations.
“When my boys were small, and they’d fall asleep in their car seat. I’d drive onto the beach at East Beach or Jamaica Beach and just sit in my car and paint the landscape, sand, waves, and sky from there,” she said.
“I have a whole mobile studio in my car that I’ve had for many years. We all paint together in the car sometimes now, when it’s too cold or the wind is too strong. Being able to just stop and paint is one of my favorite things to do. The back of my van has room for everything and even shade from the sun, so I position myself to paint with it or have a fishing buggy to haul my painting supplies a short distance.”
She believes in harnessing and manifesting joy while creating and sharing her art in galleries.
“This year, we drove back from Oregon to Texas together and spent days on the road in the desert towns of Nevada and New Mexico. This new show of mixed media paintings celebrates the sky over the places that renew the spirit for me and many others,” she said.
“The open skies are painted from deserts and deserted coastlines, combining vintage aesthetics of lost motels and forgotten places, while viewed from the roads connecting them. The new works have a dreamlike quality to them, blending together like memories from time on the road.”
Since returning, she’s been focusing on a project in her studio where she explores the creation of paint using rocks she and her family gathered from their travels. Wiley-Janota meticulously grinds these collected rocks into fine powders, each carrying the essence of the landscapes she traversed.
She blends these pigments with carefully selected binders, breathing life into homemade paints that encapsulate the beauty and mystique of her cross-country odyssey, ready to adorn her canvases with the essence of her travels.
“I usually paint these places, but now I’m going to make paintings with that paint that contains elements of those places. It's been very rewarding so far and I hope to continue working towards a body of work of it.”
In the creation of her work, she employs Polaroids, which encompass a sense of nostalgia, dreaminess, and tangible remembrances all rolled into one. The artist's fascination lies in the nostalgic aspects of childhood recollections, as well as the lives of her forebears, spanning generations.
These reminiscences often resemble memories or dreams, even though she wasn't physically present. Yet, she maintains a profound connection to them through the medium of photography.
Her passion extends to narratives crafted by songwriters, filmmakers, and poets - anything that intricately captures a specific moment in time or an entire era. This passion offers a form of fantasy or an avenue for escapism, akin to the enchantment a remarkable film can provide.
She revels in the fusion of time, memory, and reality, artfully infusing vintage aesthetics, including dilapidated motels, weathered storms, and forsaken locales, into her work.
“I think it's the two sides of myself that find comfort in this imagery. I love the imagined stories, both fiction and journals, of people who really did spend time on the road,” she said.
“I don’t like feeling stuck in one place and want to feel the freedom of seeing new things and meeting new people while traveling and being on the road. I’m always kind of treasure hunting.”
She firmly holds a distaste for routine, finding excessive repetition and predictability unbearably dull. Nevertheless, she nurtures a profound affection and an innate yearning for the comforting and familiar atmosphere of her home.
Each morning, she longs for the soothing warmth and the meticulous routine of preparing her coffee just the way she likes it, complete with the perfect foam in her cherished cup. She takes pleasure in waking up gradually to the sounds of the world beyond her window, whether it's the gentle rustling of her garden or the tranquil presence of nearby water.
Her heart is deeply rooted in her abode, a treasure trove of eclectic discoveries - fabrics, books, photographs, rocks, artwork, bones, and a variety of materials.
“I’m a nurturer, a mother, a lover, a loner. But also, a bit too impulsive, extremely nostalgic, and quite often feel the weight of the sadness of the world. I can feel great joy and great sadness at the same time,” she said.
“My dueling sides are always battling for peace within me. I struggle with these things daily and creating really helps me work through them. I want to be the best mother to my children, but I also want to be true to myself and my interests in things outside of being brought down with the hardships and stresses of our day-to-day lives.”
Her goal as an artist, regardless of the medium, is to uncover and present fresh perspectives on the often-unnoticed aspects of our daily existence, emphasizing the enchantment within the ordinary and even the mundane.
“I'm attempting to thoughtfully see, create, and share as much as possible in the short life that I’ve been given, and I aspire to reflect the sincerity of all of these interests in my diverse body of work,” Wiley-Janota said.
Her creations frequently contain multiple narratives, some that the artist has deliberately crafted and anticipated, while others remain as uncharted links waiting to be unearthed by those who encounter them.
“I’ve intended for my works to somehow be both intimate and universal in this way. Hopefully, my work can offer an escape from our fast-moving world, a still moment of connection, to both our human history and to the natural world that surrounds us.”
She considers herself lucky to reside along the Texas coastline, where she can experience the ever-shifting weather, dynamic cloud formations, and the diverse palette of colors that gracefully move or sweep across the cherished landscape she adores.
“I love finding labyrinths in the sand at the beach lately, and knowing there are women having full moon ceremonies at night and building them there to celebrate,” she said, adding that life, with its moments of heartbreak and unbridled joy, is akin to living along the coast, which delivers both breathtaking natural beauty and the ever-present threat of relentless tides and hurricanes on the horizon.
“To live at the edge of the sea and enjoy its many treasures is a borrowed gift - tragedy and destruction are always close. I never forget this delicate balance, and I am so grateful for where I get to create every day,” she said.
Nonetheless, the call of wanderlust persists, urging her to set forth once more in pursuit of new adventures.
“It is very important to me to create as therapy for myself and to be a source of beauty and joy for others in pain. To be able to work through the difficulties and pain in life is the goal,” she said.
“I must paint, I must go out and seek the sky and the treasures of the sea and those desert roads, transforming pain into beauty - because that is the magic of paint and how I measure my success as a painter.” Rachel’s works can be found at René Wiley Studio & Gallery, 2128 Postoffice Street in downtown Galveston. For more on Rachel visit www.rachelwiley.com.
Interview with Upcoming Artists, January 2021
https://www.upcomingartists.org/allinterviews/rachel-wiley-janota
"Rachel Wiley-Janota is a Galveston Island-based Visual Artist. She took time out of her packed diary to talk to Upcoming Artists about her work and the beautiful synergy between parenthood and creating art."
Rachel Wiley-Janota, Visual Artist
What is your weapon of choice?
I'm mostly a painter and photographer, so I always need a camera, my iPhone or 35mm film or polaroids, and at least one notebook with graphite pencils to get started. If I'm not outside working, I use photographs, prints and small studies in the studio. I work with watercolours, inks, acrylics, oils, beeswax, encaustic and gold leaf. I have watercolour papers, hardwood boards, and canvases to paint on and use lots of painting and putty knives, paper towels and wash brushes, spray bottles with water or alcohol, and maybe a hot plate, sandpaper and a blow torch. And if I am in the studio, I love to look through my collection of found photography and books for materials and inspiration.
How did you get started as a creator?
I was raised by a painter, but I wanted to be a biologist since I was young. I really believe we are all born creators, but I reconnected with painting in my early adulthood when I took a brilliant drawing class from Mark Greenwalt, who has both fine art and biology backgrounds.
My mom, grandmother and sister all painted with traditional oils, which I didn't connect with, but learning mixed media really got me excited to work again. Art-making then became everything to me, like a language I needed to speak with others. For me, it was like hearing blues music or reading beat and zen poetry for the first time, once I discovered it, I realized just how much I needed it in my life every day.
What gets you most excited about your work?
I’m always getting excited and inspired by something to work on, but I try to focus on the gulf coast landscape and my found photography. When people connect with what I make, it means a lot to me. I realize how lucky I am to be a full time, working artist with a studio in my home, and I am immensely grateful for it.
Where do you get inspiration from?
Everything, really. Summer storms, the colours in the sky, the ocean, fog, golden light, painting in the moonlight. Experimenting with different media and subtle colour relationships. Finding spectacular vernacular photographs, scanning old film. Taking a walk, looking up at the clouds, looking down into salt water or sand. A great line of poetry or book or song. Smelling fresh rosemary in my garden. The wetlands, sleeping outside under the stars, blues, folk, and gospel music. Central America, China, and South Texas, the people, their history, music, and food. Watching my kids learn, collecting things in the garden and searching for answers with them. Picnics in the grass, beautiful stoneware ceramics, vintage glassware, campfires in the woods or my backyard.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Forgiveness is key. Just be more forgiving of your own mistakes, and of everyone else's. Mistakes teach you things. We are all learning and evolving at our own pace, and fear, resentment and regret just eat away at you. Life is too short to not be working on the next beautiful lesson or art project.
What do you do to promote your work?
I am really lucky to have a great, brick and mortar gallery with my family on Galveston Island, Texas. René Wiley Gallery. And I may spend too much time posting on social media, but it really does help.
Tell us about a project you are most proud of.
I have had a solo exhibition of paintings every year since 2013, with about 30 new pieces each time. I am really proud of myself for that, especially after 2016, since I have had my children home with me while making the pieces. But truly, my kids are what I am most proud of - my longest-term projects to date!
I find that, once I am done with an artwork, I'm on to the next thing, so it just doesn't compare to what parenting is like as a project. I approach my motherhood as an artist. I think my best artworks are also like my children, I use my knowledge to the best of my abilities to mould them to turn out strong and connected to something bigger than myself. And there is this divine mystery that happens in both making a great piece of art and raising kids, somehow they come through you and exist independently from you without you even knowing exactly how.
You find a lottery ticket that ends up winning $10 million. What would you do?
I think I would want to live very much the same as I do now. Except I'd buy a nice boat for my boys and me to fish on, there are no better views for my work here on the coast, and it would be a floating classroom for us. I'd definitely travel more with my children and husband too, so we could teach our kids more about the world's incredible diversity. Then I'd have to find ways to give grants to artists wherever we travelled to.
But, most importantly, I'd invest most of it to help people and rescue dogs. I would love to open two separate nonprofits, in Houston and San Antonio. They would be a dog rescue and sanctuary at both places, but one location would be a haven for mothers and children escaping violence, and the other would be a rehab facility for people suffering from alcohol or drug addiction. Both places would be focused on finding peace and strength for people healing through the care of the many dogs in need.
How do you switch off?
I'd say I'm more in need of recharge than a complete switching off. So pulling weeds in my garden, a walk, a cup of tea, reading poetry, beach-combing. A little road trip with thrift stores if I'm lucky. As a parent, I don't get to do that as much; instead, I snuggle up with my kids and dogs in our tent in the backyard, and we have a campfire together. I'd love to do that more with just my husband too. But at the end of the day, I guess it's a glass of red wine, or maybe a bourbon or tequila with herbs from my garden. I'd enjoy it while listening to my favourites like Lightnin' Hopkins, First Aid Kit or Iron and Wine in my studio.
What's the book that every creator should read?
There are just too many to say one, but these stick out in my mind: The Four Agreements by Miguel Ruiz, Residence on Earth by Pablo Neruda, The People of Paper by Salvador Plascencia. They have each changed my life in some way, they each reinforced to me how important it is to be an observer and be passionately creative.
How should people connect with you?
My website, https://www.rachelwiley.com,
My instagrams, https://www.instagram.com/saltandsky.studio/ and
https://www.instagram.com/RWileyJanotaFineArt/
Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/wileyrachel,
or my gallery portfolio: http://renewileygallery.com/collections/42107.
https://www.upcomingartists.org/allinterviews/rachel-wiley-janota
"Rachel Wiley-Janota is a Galveston Island-based Visual Artist. She took time out of her packed diary to talk to Upcoming Artists about her work and the beautiful synergy between parenthood and creating art."
Rachel Wiley-Janota, Visual Artist
What is your weapon of choice?
I'm mostly a painter and photographer, so I always need a camera, my iPhone or 35mm film or polaroids, and at least one notebook with graphite pencils to get started. If I'm not outside working, I use photographs, prints and small studies in the studio. I work with watercolours, inks, acrylics, oils, beeswax, encaustic and gold leaf. I have watercolour papers, hardwood boards, and canvases to paint on and use lots of painting and putty knives, paper towels and wash brushes, spray bottles with water or alcohol, and maybe a hot plate, sandpaper and a blow torch. And if I am in the studio, I love to look through my collection of found photography and books for materials and inspiration.
How did you get started as a creator?
I was raised by a painter, but I wanted to be a biologist since I was young. I really believe we are all born creators, but I reconnected with painting in my early adulthood when I took a brilliant drawing class from Mark Greenwalt, who has both fine art and biology backgrounds.
My mom, grandmother and sister all painted with traditional oils, which I didn't connect with, but learning mixed media really got me excited to work again. Art-making then became everything to me, like a language I needed to speak with others. For me, it was like hearing blues music or reading beat and zen poetry for the first time, once I discovered it, I realized just how much I needed it in my life every day.
What gets you most excited about your work?
I’m always getting excited and inspired by something to work on, but I try to focus on the gulf coast landscape and my found photography. When people connect with what I make, it means a lot to me. I realize how lucky I am to be a full time, working artist with a studio in my home, and I am immensely grateful for it.
Where do you get inspiration from?
Everything, really. Summer storms, the colours in the sky, the ocean, fog, golden light, painting in the moonlight. Experimenting with different media and subtle colour relationships. Finding spectacular vernacular photographs, scanning old film. Taking a walk, looking up at the clouds, looking down into salt water or sand. A great line of poetry or book or song. Smelling fresh rosemary in my garden. The wetlands, sleeping outside under the stars, blues, folk, and gospel music. Central America, China, and South Texas, the people, their history, music, and food. Watching my kids learn, collecting things in the garden and searching for answers with them. Picnics in the grass, beautiful stoneware ceramics, vintage glassware, campfires in the woods or my backyard.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Forgiveness is key. Just be more forgiving of your own mistakes, and of everyone else's. Mistakes teach you things. We are all learning and evolving at our own pace, and fear, resentment and regret just eat away at you. Life is too short to not be working on the next beautiful lesson or art project.
What do you do to promote your work?
I am really lucky to have a great, brick and mortar gallery with my family on Galveston Island, Texas. René Wiley Gallery. And I may spend too much time posting on social media, but it really does help.
Tell us about a project you are most proud of.
I have had a solo exhibition of paintings every year since 2013, with about 30 new pieces each time. I am really proud of myself for that, especially after 2016, since I have had my children home with me while making the pieces. But truly, my kids are what I am most proud of - my longest-term projects to date!
I find that, once I am done with an artwork, I'm on to the next thing, so it just doesn't compare to what parenting is like as a project. I approach my motherhood as an artist. I think my best artworks are also like my children, I use my knowledge to the best of my abilities to mould them to turn out strong and connected to something bigger than myself. And there is this divine mystery that happens in both making a great piece of art and raising kids, somehow they come through you and exist independently from you without you even knowing exactly how.
You find a lottery ticket that ends up winning $10 million. What would you do?
I think I would want to live very much the same as I do now. Except I'd buy a nice boat for my boys and me to fish on, there are no better views for my work here on the coast, and it would be a floating classroom for us. I'd definitely travel more with my children and husband too, so we could teach our kids more about the world's incredible diversity. Then I'd have to find ways to give grants to artists wherever we travelled to.
But, most importantly, I'd invest most of it to help people and rescue dogs. I would love to open two separate nonprofits, in Houston and San Antonio. They would be a dog rescue and sanctuary at both places, but one location would be a haven for mothers and children escaping violence, and the other would be a rehab facility for people suffering from alcohol or drug addiction. Both places would be focused on finding peace and strength for people healing through the care of the many dogs in need.
How do you switch off?
I'd say I'm more in need of recharge than a complete switching off. So pulling weeds in my garden, a walk, a cup of tea, reading poetry, beach-combing. A little road trip with thrift stores if I'm lucky. As a parent, I don't get to do that as much; instead, I snuggle up with my kids and dogs in our tent in the backyard, and we have a campfire together. I'd love to do that more with just my husband too. But at the end of the day, I guess it's a glass of red wine, or maybe a bourbon or tequila with herbs from my garden. I'd enjoy it while listening to my favourites like Lightnin' Hopkins, First Aid Kit or Iron and Wine in my studio.
What's the book that every creator should read?
There are just too many to say one, but these stick out in my mind: The Four Agreements by Miguel Ruiz, Residence on Earth by Pablo Neruda, The People of Paper by Salvador Plascencia. They have each changed my life in some way, they each reinforced to me how important it is to be an observer and be passionately creative.
How should people connect with you?
My website, https://www.rachelwiley.com,
My instagrams, https://www.instagram.com/saltandsky.studio/ and
https://www.instagram.com/RWileyJanotaFineArt/
Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/wileyrachel,
or my gallery portfolio: http://renewileygallery.com/collections/42107.