Jane paints a variety of subject matter including commissioned portraits in her Los Altos, California studio. As someone relatively new to the art world, Jane’s talent has quickly caught the national attention of art critics and enthusiasts. Her work is included in private, corporate, and museum collections throughout the U.S. In 2002, The American Watercolor Society chose Jane’s work for its 135^th Annual International Exhibition and Traveling Show.  In the same year, she was featured in the Spring 2002 issue of Watercolor Magazine. In 2003 alone, Jane earned signature membership in three National Watercolor Associations: the National Watercolor Society, Watercolor West, and the California Watercolor Society.

A native of California, Jane spent her childhood in Menlo Park.  Although innately creative, Jane’s artistic endeavors never extended beyond a general interest. In fact, when she attended U.C. Berkeley, Jane’s goal was to obtain her degree in Civil Engineering.  During this time, she met and married her husband Rob. They have three grown children.

As her children were growing older, Jane decided to investigate her interest in art, curious to see if her abilities could be developed. Photography was one of the earliest means by which she began to explore her artistic side.  Through photographing her children and her surroundings, Jane discovered her artistic eye. It was only twelve years ago that she began dabbling in different mediums in a local art class.  Watercolor became her medium of choice as she was drawn to its dynamic and fluid quality.  Jane then began to clarify her techniques in watercolor through observation; with no formal art training, Jane has largely been self taught. 

Building on her love of photography, Jane often utilizes images that she has captured through a lens as inspiration for her art. “I’m captivated by people and their expressions, so the camera has always been a useful tool for gathering material for my paintings,” says Jane.

Through the use of watercolors, Jane is able to present scenes that are at once realistic but have an ethereal quality that captures the essence of her subjects. She continues to foster her creativity and expand her body of work by exploring various genres including traditional portraits, life studies, still-lifes, landscapes, and florals.  She is particularly adept at depicting the beauty of people in their natural environment—whether it be dancing, playing music or reading a book.  

For Jane, two of the most important elements in her paintings are a strong design and the dynamic relationship between light and dark.  Concerned with the presence of a strong underlying abstract structure, Jane focuses upon the interaction of shapes within her work.  The light and darks of her painting are enhanced by their construction. Jane states that “The most important part of my process is layering washes of unmixed color. I am able to achieve a rich, velvety surface; appealing soft edges; an emotional atmosphere; and colorful darks through this glazing process.”