A painting came to my attention today, and presented a very exciting first pass at discovery.  Google search that suggested the painting’s signature, V. Janousek,  might belong to the famous Czech artist Vladimir Janousek. 

A closer look indicated that was very unlikely, as it wasn’t the typical subject matter for Vladimir, nor did the signature match.  A bit more Googling turned up other V. Janousek signed images that were in a similar style and had closely matching signatures.  Eventually, I came across the obituary of Virginia Janousek and the mystery was solved. 

Virginia Janousek (1933-2015)  lived in Moorhead, Minnesota, and started painting in 1967. Besides being a talented and passionate artist, she was a business partner in Associated Arts Print Shop which she
owned with her husband, himself a commercial artist.

She primarily worked with oil, often applying it with a palette knife to her
landscapes and still life paintings. Her paintings reflected in her love of Minnesota landscapes and flowers. 

According to the obituary, she studied with well-known local artists and teachers. She did many one-artist shows and group shows including the Rourke Gallery, the University of
Minnesota, St. Paul, the University of Minnesota, Morris, the American
Swedish Institute, and The Minnesota State Fair. She purportedly won many awards.
Her work is housed in permanent collections that include the North Dakota Electrical Contractors
Association, 3-M Company, and many private collections throughout
the country. 

Virginia Janousek’s paintings are still circulating. Given the pleasant subject matter and the care of creation, they probably will continue to find new owners into the future.  Her works periodically appear on on Etsy, and I found auction listings through Invaluable and eBay.

So if you are lucky enough to find a V. Janousek signed painting, whether it is done by Virgina or Vladimir, be sure to find a good home for it.