The Art Place — Helling Croteau's art is inspired by her garden

Jan CroteauTomatoes

"Food for Thought" is the theme of Jan Helling Croteau's show of new work at The Art Place on North Main Street in Wolfeboro, starting Oct. 8 with an opening from 5 to 7 in the evening. Her still-life canvases are a celebration of the season and full of energy, as her works combine realism with abstract techniques in her new collection of paintings.

This collection reflects her love not only of art, but gardening as well. "I love to use the garden as my main inspiration this time of year, so I use tomatoes, pumpkins, red chili peppers and Macintosh apples as models for my studio work. It's exciting to grow the models and then to paint them. I feel deeply connected to every aspect of the creative process."

This New Hampshire artist is prolific, not only as a painter but as a writer as well. In 2015 she started ArtWord, a daily email of art and essays sent to a growing list of subscribers. Combining her love of writing with painting, she has found the perfect blend. "For years I thought I had to choose between being a writer or a painter. Then I started ArtWord, quite by accident, and I was surprised by how it grew." Each of Jan's original paintings include an essay or a poem about life, her inspiration and her creative process as it pertains to each canvas. "Every Painting Tells A Story," is the tagline on her website. When a collector buys an original, it comes with an essay. "Paintings make beautiful gifts," Croteau explains, "and adding the story to each one makes a truly unique offering for anyone who appreciates art."

The Art Place will be exhibiting Helling Croteau's work through Oct. 22. For more information, contact The Art Place at 603-569-6159 or follow Jan H Croteau on Facebook or at www.janhcroteau.com. Only original art is being offered at the gallery. All works on the website are currently being offered as high-quality prints only.