About the Artist
A BRIEF HISTORY
Janice was born in Glasgow Scotland where she started her artistic education in the field of music. After immigrating to Canada she attended the University of British Columbia receiving her Bachelor’s Degree in French Literature and Geography and subsequently taught school in the Lower Mainland for a number of years. In addition, she received her Music Degree from the Toronto Conservatory allowing her to teach piano for some 21 years while still finding time in Prince George to play Cello in their Chamber Orchestra.
PRESENT DAY
More recently Janice’s artistic direction has shifted from music to the field of painting. She credits the late Fred Schaefer for giving her the encouragement and enthusiasm to “get painting”. Several years of Federation Classes taken with artists such as Alan Wylie, Mike Svob and Rick McDermid, augmented by workshops with many well-known B.C. artists from both the mainland and Vancouver Island (such as Robert Genn) and has further enhanced her art education. Perhaps the most profound influence has come from her studies with Alberta’s Neil Patterson and the late Vancouver Island artist, Keith Smith.
ACHIEVEMENTS
She enjoys painting landscapes in watercolour, acrylic and oils, many of which have been exhibited in the Federation’s Granville Island Gallery, The Old School House (TOSH) Gallery in Qualicum as well as in the Ferry Building, Park Royal and various other venues on Vancouver’s North Shore. Janice has had successful solo exhibitions at the Vancouver Court House and is presently a Resident Artist at TOSH where she had a successful exhibition of her works in September 2002. Twenty-eight of her paintings were also displayed from October 2002 to January 2003 at the Qualicum Heritage Inn. Both the Group of Seven and the Impressionists have influenced her style while her recent acrylics are more abstract. Working in oils and acrylics, she uses both brush and palette knife. Her paintings can be found in corporate and private collections. She is currently represented at The Gallery, Oak Bay; Gallery 223, Nanaimo; Englishman River Gallery, Parksville; and, at Timms Fine Art Gallery, Courtenay.
Janice teaches courses in acrylics and oils at TOSH and is an Active Member of the Federation of Canadian Artists belonging to its Arrowsmith Chapter.
ARTIST’S COMMENTS
“I have always loved art but until recently have not been able to devote as much time to painting as I’d have liked, what with raising 3 sons. Now I relish trying to capture the ever changing moods and colours of the outdoors in a simple but vibrant manner.”
