Janice Brock: A Life Lived Without Limits

International artist preparing to retrace her late brother’s architectural pilgrimage

Janice Sylvia Brock can paint happiness. She captures the essence of a soaring human spirit and she repeats the feat tirelessly.

Standing at a tiny 4ft 10 and a half inches tall and just shy of a big birthday, Janice has striven all her life to create the most ‘beautiful, simplistic paintings’.

Now, having just completed one of the most physically challenging commissions of her life, a four and a half month project that involved painting huge murals depicting the Goddesses of Life at Nirvana Spa in Sindlesham, Janice is turning her attention to a second major project: she is currently in talks to create a TV series, following her quest to retrace her late brother’s footsteps on a once-in-a-lifetime journey across Asia.

With the same indomitable spirit that carried her through a lonely childhood spent in hospital, annual operations ever since, crippling pain, constant medication and regular broken bones, this intrepid pioneer is preparing to mount an expedition that will take her a long way out of anybody’s comfort zone.

“I want to do it”, she told us: “In memory of Stephen who was a talented architect but sadly took his own life shortly after his journey half way around the world. He wrote me the most beautiful letters detailing his travels and adventures and I want to see and paint the wonderful buildings and sights for myself even at the cost to my health.”

Talks are currently at the planning stage, but Janice is already examining maps and discussing logistics, her team and timings. Considering what she has achieved in life so far, there is little doubt that the Asian project will be as successful as everything else she touches, despite her physical limitations.

Photo (Left) Janice with her siblings. Janice is on the right and Stephen is on the far left.

About Janice

Janice is victim of Still’s disease, a virulent form of rheumatoid arthritis which struck her down at the age of ten. It is a progressive debilitation and Janice cannot live her life without daily help and a cocktail of painkillers. Nevertheless, she is constantly busy painting between her homes and galleries in Alderley Edge and Barbados.

Janice is currently focusing on new work depicting ‘Oval Faces’ for an exhibition in 2020, representing yet another direction for this artist famed for her depictions of Caribbean life. Janice comments: ‘In the new Oval Faces collection I have been painting minimalist, figurative work, with strong lines. Often my faces have two sides to them; one side strong and pronounced and the other reflecting the inner child within us.’

Expectations for this latest oeuvre are typically high, following on from her continued global success. In 2010 Janice exhibited in London’s world-famous Saatchi Gallery, and a private showing of her work in the UK was attended by HRH The Prince of Wales. Her second book, a coffee table autobiography illustrated with colour plates of her art, My Life on Canvas, is now in print.

Some of her more well-known clients include Sir Anthony and Lady Bamford, the late Robert Sangster, Irish entrepreneur Dermot Desmond, chairman of Reading Football Club John Madjeski and leading Irish magnate, John Magnier.

Her paintings are colourful, accessible and magical and even though she has endured a life of debilitating physical suffering, the joy that she expresses on canvas has been attracting peak prices for decades. No doubt her impressions of Asia and the Southern Hemisphere will prove to be the highlights of an already exceptional portfolio.