Artwork copyright Janet Essley. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.

Artwork copyright Janet Essley. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.

Agave and Moon, 2001

Janet Essley
(American, born 1949)

Location: Evergreen Primary School, University Place

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Agave and Moon is a colorful figurative painting by artist Janet Essley. This painting is based on a poem the artist wrote while studying the wetland habitat of the Pacific Coast in Baja, Mexico. Describing the imagery, she notes "The shy and rarely seen bittern resides in tall reed marshes, the octopus in the inter-tidal rocks. The agave is a desert [plant] that grows for years, then blooms once with an enormous flowered spike and dies. One was blooming next to our research site within yards of the bay and I had made sketches of its exquisite geometry. All these creatures and many others are threatened by development of the coastal areas for human needs and consumption."

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with University Place School District.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Northwest artist Janet Essley creates paintings and public murals. Her imagery is influenced by her work in forestry and biological research, as well as the diverse cultures she encounters while traveling.

Essley earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Oregon and a Master of Fine Arts degreerts in painting and drawing from California State University, Chico.