A painter for over 40 years, Jan travels throughout the Southwest
and other regions photographing and sketching for several weeks at a time. “I’m not really an outdoor
painter. Nature can be exciting – like a glorious sunset – but usually enhancement is needed. If I
emphasize color and contrast, there’s an excitement the viewer feels. If I’m going for a more tranquil,
healing, spiritual sort of landscape, the color choices are much different. It’s amazing how much I
always need to simplify a scene, leaving a lot out, in order to convey a focused, powerful message;
even if it is a peaceful message.”
“Soft Pastels (not Oil Pastels) are a very expressive medium. Working on a soft white Stonehenge
printmakers’ paper I use my hands to blend large washy areas then add detail on top of these. I
like to contrast bold scribbling strokes with softly blended areas. A painting is never finished
in one session. I come back to each painting at least ten times. Unfinished paintings are stacked
on a shelf with glassine between each one. There are always about 60 unfinished paintings in the
stack. My thinking and mood each morning dictate my work for the day.”
Jan is a signature member of the Pastel Society of America and participates regularly in many
juried national exhibits.