Animal & Landscape Artist
SPIVA CENTER FOR THE ARTS - RETURN TO INNOCENCE
Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 10:00AM – 5:00PM
Wednesday: 10:00AM – 5:00PM
Thursday: 10:00AM – 5:00PM
Friday: 10:00AM – 5:00PM
Saturday: 10:00AM – 5:00PM
Sunday: Closed
212 W. 7th Street
Joplin, M0 64801
January 10 - February 28, 2026
“Return to Innocence is a journey back to the elemental truths found in nature. The landscapes, and quiet rhythms of the natural world are my constant subjects – places where beauty, balance, order, and patterns reveal themselves in subtle relationships. Through observation plus imagination I create visual stories to convey my belief in love, safety, well-being, and the enduring mystery that lives within all things.
In these works, I seek to reconnect with a sense of innocence not as simplicity, but as openness and a willingness to see and experience the world with curiosity and trust. Nature becomes both guide and mirror, reminding us of the harmony and wonder that surrounds us. My hope is that each piece invites the viewer to pause and remember that how and what we give our attention to is a choice.
I am grateful for this precious opportunity to show so many paintings in this beautiful space at Spiva created over the span of 50 years.”
Join us for an Artist Talk with Jane Troup on Saturday, February 28, 2026, at 11:00am – stay up to date here.
Sponsored by Kathy & Honghong Chen
MY THEORY OF FORMS
Being a devout observer and lover of Nature, I have a unique challenge
when painting a landscape. In Nature I am amazed by the infinite number
of organisms and elements swirling in this mix of life.
Representing that power, beauty and unity is possible by transforming
these elements into form and symbols.
Plato states that the material world is changeable and unreliable,
yet beyond this world of appearances is one of permanence and reliability.
This is true reality. For any conceivable thing there is a corresponding
Form which is an independent existing abstract perfect idea.
The idea of a tree, for example, has great complexity and spirit.
It becomes more than an object; it becomes an idea. I use these forms /ideas
as my subjects in a scene to create a story about human connection.
The painting isn’t an outside story, but rather an inside one.
I am grateful to all of you that make my work possible.