My wife and I own two works of art by Janet Strayer -- Birdland and Icarus. Both paintings are greatly treasured and occupy places of prominence in our home. With Birdland we were immediately taken in by the playful images and the rich colours ... It brightens our day every time we look at it. Whimsical on first glance, it draws you into the lives of the birds who may or may not be full of the whimsy you first saw.

Beyond having a special connection to the subject, we love the ethereal nature of Icarus. The painting transforms with the changing light of day and, indeed, through the changing light of the seasons. Reacting to the available light, various parts of the canvas seem to come alive, with certain brushstrokes highlighted, while others drift into the background. Depending on the time of day and the quality of light, it seems altogether a different painting. Faces emerge from the painted shadows and colours of the wings and their emotions transition in the passage of light and time. Sometimes the image of Icarus is soaring, sometimes he looks as if he is plummeting to the ocean below.

--Mark & Jenn M in BC

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