Talented artists and great teachers are a rare breed, but Susan Jankowski, of Islamorada’s Limelight Studio, fits the bill.
Jankowski has a strong, enthusiastic energy and a deep understanding of art — one that allows her to break it down so even the beginner can understand how to go about creating a piece. When Jankowski teaches, it’s as if you and the art are the only things that matter at that moment. I was lucky enough to be able to talk to her about her process.
Jankowski’s family has a lot of creative members; it was just a natural fit to enter the arts. As a youngster, she realized she had a knack for the arts, and through college she participated in many art classes. Her art style is loose and fast. She likes pale, dreamy, pastel colors. She likes to communicate the softness of a subject with a loving eye.
Jankowski’s favorite artists are the impressionists Renoir, Degas, Manet, Morisot and Cassat. She enjoys them because they are soft, tender and beautiful. Her favorite subject to paint is anything living and lively. As for her medium, she thinks she is an oil painter hiding in acrylic.
“I had been teaching art at Plantation Key School (PKS), then I began teaching at The Banyan Tree at night with my daughter, Jul. Eventually, we moved to our own space in the Morada Way Arts District,” she said. I’m a practicing artist, but I enjoy painting with people the most, so classes brought the two together.”
Limelight Studio was an answer to her need for a space to operate.
“My vision for the studio is to have a place for people to come and have a meaningful experience through art and walk away with something in their hands that they’re proud of,” she said. “My hope is to connect people along the way. Art is inseparable from the human experience and has been since our origin. We do it for beauty and to communicate things words cannot.”
When someone decides to begin classes, Jankowski makes sure they do five things: a still life, something with eyes, a landscape, a seascape and glass. Through these exercises, a painter learns to use various brushes and mix color. After a painter has tackled these things, they can basically paint anything. They get an idea of light and shadow, color and feeling, and materiality and atmosphere.
“It’s really satisfying for me to watch the artist jump from these things and find their own style. I don’t want anyone to paint just like me. Art is like handwriting, an expression of one’s personality. I want that to shine,” she said. “Mostly, I want people to be comfortable and happy and have an enjoyable experience learning something new.”
For those of you who are unsure about joining Jankowski’s art class, there is no commitment. Give it a try one time and see how you like it. People can take one class or paint weekly. Jankowski enjoys instructing, facilitating and guiding people through their paintings. The process is pretty easy, especially if someone is open and willing to accept instruction. Her mantras are, “where’s your light, where’s your shadow,” “blur your eyes,” and “paint what you see, not what you think should be there.” These phrases help people realize that painting is simply a collection of shapes and colors that allude to a subject — not some insurmountable task of realism.
Jankowski gives back by sharing her artistic knowledge. I have joined a few of her classes and I’m always impressed with how she takes people with no art experience and gets them to think and paint like an artist.
Limelight Studio is located at 151 Morada Way. For information on classes and private lessons, call 305-304-6478.
