Artist Statement
From early on, I have been drawn to landscape photography, particularly the vast skies and expansive landscapes of the Southwest. I'm also fascinated by old things—old churches, buildings, cemeteries, and tools. I wish these things could speak and tell their tales. They hold the human story.
This is especially true of the old adobe churches of the Southwest, many of which have been lovingly maintained through the efforts of their communities. Their ancient walls have borne witness to the full spectrum of human emotion, from life's most joyous moments to the depths of grief and despair. I find that history and sense of place endlessly compelling.
Lately, my photographic interests have expanded to include intimate landscapes and the creative possibilities of cell phone photography.
My watercolor subjects are often drawn from photographs that didn't quite succeed as photographs. From florals to landscapes, I paint whatever captures my interest. Whether working with a camera or a paintbrush, I am drawn to the challenge of composition and the way visual elements come together to create a compelling image.
Biography
Biography
After a semester of college photography, Jan became smitten with the absolute magic of that latent image emerging on the paper in its chemical bath. Amazing! She’s been tinkering with photography ever since. Upon retirement from education, she began to dabble in watercolor. While she loves its qualities of fluid looseness and relaxed freshness, she tends to paint with precise details.
She loves to travel, especially to the southwest and New Mexico in particular. As a world-class procrastinator, she finds that committing to galleries and shows forces some discipline to get some work accomplished.
She is a member of the Arts of Bear Valley group, the Mother Lode Art Association, and the Sonora Photography Club. She has had the good fortune to participate in the Aloft Gallery, and formerly in the Manzanita Arts Emporium as well as Art on Main, Murphys. Her work has received several Best of Show recognitions, various awards from the InFocus show, appeared on the cover and in the calendar of New Mexico Magazine publications, and has been accepted in multiple shows and other publications. She has not been painting much of late, but she still enjoys her play with pigments, pixels, and prints!
After a semester of college photography, Jan became smitten with the absolute magic of that latent image emerging on the paper in its chemical bath. Amazing! She’s been tinkering with photography ever since. Upon retirement from education, she began to dabble in watercolor. While she loves its qualities of fluid looseness and relaxed freshness, she tends to paint with precise details.
She loves to travel, especially to the southwest and New Mexico in particular. As a world-class procrastinator, she finds that committing to galleries and shows forces some discipline to get some work accomplished.
She is a member of the Arts of Bear Valley group, the Mother Lode Art Association, and the Sonora Photography Club. She has had the good fortune to participate in the Aloft Gallery, and formerly in the Manzanita Arts Emporium as well as Art on Main, Murphys. Her work has received several Best of Show recognitions, various awards from the InFocus show, appeared on the cover and in the calendar of New Mexico Magazine publications, and has been accepted in multiple shows and other publications. She has not been painting much of late, but she still enjoys her play with pigments, pixels, and prints!