JaLu Gallery – Janine Kelleher’s Thoughts on Art
“Creativity is in the heart of all souls, we must find that quiet space and listen to our inner voice. The one that guides us and lets us be true to expressing ourselves.” – J. Kelleher
If you have visited the Artwalk Plaza at Lázaro Cárdenas, #62, you’ve likely seen the unique works of Janine Kelleher. Or, perhaps you met Janine at her gallery in Sayulita, where she shared her art for over fifteen years.
Janine found her true calling as a teenager, when fate forced her to make some choices. She had planned to be a dancer, but changed her focus to other types of arts. “I had an injury, and I just started painting and taking classes in New York City and I really had a passion for it, so I applied for a school in North Carolina for Visual Arts, and it just kind of went from there.”
Janine crafts her work from beginning to end by utilizing an array of creative talents. She was classically trained in various media; painting, drawing, print making, ceramics, and sculpture are just a few. Her favourite material is glass. “One thing led to another and I loved the glass. It has an organic-ness about it. Lighting becomes a very big part. As lighting changes the pieces change as well.”
POETRY and ART
“I guess I’ve always been immersed in it. (art) My mom was a fashion designer and still does jewelry design, so she always was supportive in that department.” Janine describes how her mom nurtured the creative side of her and her sister. “She used to let us draw on the walls in our bedrooms. I have an older sister who is also an artist, she’s a graphic designer and photographer.” Janine’s mom, Bara, has an art studio in Vallarta. Janine points to some jewelry on display, “That’s all my mom’s work, and the sculptures as well, these bronze sculptures are all originals. And my sister makes all the beautiful handmade boxes.” Beautiful indeed.
“Here I am, emerged in a life’s story, one lived and one still to be created. Embrace any fear and awaken sleeping dreams…” – J. Kelleher (excerpt)
Janine includes excerpts of her writing on every piece. “All my work starts by writing. I do something called ‘flow writing.’ It helps me to get out of my head because I worry a lot. It helps me to stop thinking. When I’m writing is when I start to visualize the pieces. So, then I can break it down and decide how I’m going to produce the piece; is it reverse? is it topical? is it from both sides?”
OPENING in BUCERIAS
“I took this space thinking, OK, let’s see what’s going on outside Sayulita. I mean, I feel blessed, I had an amazing run in that town, a huge success. Sayulita just opened it’s doors to me, so it was great, but I was ready for a change. Before I actually rented this space, I hired somebody to help me in Sayulita just to give me a little breath of oxygen because I was feeling like ‘Go Janine, Go Janine, Go Janine,’ and it really gave me a moment to realize that I wanted to try something new, but I also wanted to look outside of Sayulita. I needed a new experience. I needed to be in a new environment and see what was really happening in the area. A girlfriend had an outing with another friend and they ended up here and met Christy (Christy Beguesse, proprietor of A Broken Art and the Bucerias Art Walk Plaza, http://www.abrokenartmosaics.com) and she said, “Janine, you should check out this space.” Coincidentally, Janine knew of the location, as she had met Christy and shown her work in that same gallery fifteen years ago. “When I walked in here to see this space, prior to, I just did a little meditation and said OK, if I’m not supposed to have it, stop me now. And if I am supposed to have it, give me a sign.”
“And I walked in. And Christy and I reconnected. And I saw this space. It was a beautiful space, with the courtyard. It just felt right, with the energy of having two other artists here. I really liked it. It just seemed right.”
The PANDEMIC WORLD
“Are you happy here?’ I asked. “I am,” she replied. “I’m running my business just a little differently because of the pandemic. I’m also working to get my website as a store. In Sayulita I worked 9:30am to 9:00pm. I worked really hard. Now I’m just sort of shifting things around. My time is more balanced. The pandemic has, I think for many, made us slow down and reevaluate how we’re living and changes we want to make.”
JaLu Gallery is open Monday to Friday, 10:00am to 3:00pm. Janine is currently offering 50% off her entire stock in order to make room for new pieces. See more of her work at: http://www.janinekelleher.com or find her on Facebook and Instagram. She also does commission work. Contact: jalusayulita@gmail.com or 322 160 2892
