Janet Duncan's watercolors on exhibit at University of New England in Biddeford

The University of New England is hosting an exhibition of watercolors by Janet Duncan at its Biddeford campus.

Duncan grew up in New Zealand, worked in Australia and is now a full-time American artist. She always wanted to be an artist but spent most of her life studying geography and teaching for over 35 years in the Massachusetts higher education system. Duncan regularly exhibits in Kennebunkport, where she has a studio and resides part of the year. She lives in Boston the remainder of the year.  

"The last few years have been good for my painting because I have now retired from the university and spend a lot more time at my easel. Most of my work is in watercolor, although I sometimes use oils and acrylics. I enjoy the other mediums, but most of all I like the velvety, flat, intense color I can achieve in watercolor. As a geographer, I have traveled extensively and have always enjoyed teaching my students about other people and places," states Duncan.  

Landscapes and people are the inspiration for most of Duncan's work. She no longer sees them in the realist tradition and likes to simplify them into smaller, geometric shapes, which she paints in flat color with well-defined edges. Her work can be seen on her website at www.janetduncan.com. She is represented by McGowan Fine Art Galleries in Concord and Portsmouth, N.H. Three of Duncan's paintings are now installed in the Southern Maine Medical Center in Biddeford, Maine.  

The exhibit runs from July 31, 2009 through the end of August in the Campus Center at the University of New England in Biddeford. The Campus Center summer hours are: Monday through Friday, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m., Saturday, 8:00 - noon and Sunday, 4:00 - 8:00 p.m.