Featured Artist: Jan Jewell

This is the first in a planned series to regularly feature a profile of one of our advertising members. And who better to start with current president, Jan Jewell. 

Jan has expressed her creativity with different art forms throughout her life. From winning a high school art competition, to an accomplished career in jewelry making, to becoming a wildly successful entrepreneur, to designing her own timber frame home in the Olympic peninsula. Except from her full Bio:

Since 2010, Jan has focused on representational oil painting. She has studied with Scott Christensen, Jeremy Lipking, Ovanes Berberian, Ned Mueller, Kathleen Dunphy, Alexander Zimin and David Gray, among others. A year after joining Plein Air Washington (PAWA), Jan joined its board as webmaster, and this year serves as its president. She found plein air painting to be exhilarating, and has traveled on painting adventures either with groups, or solo to France, Italy, Finland, Sweden, Glacier National Park, the Grand Canyon, Canyon de Chelly, Arches National Monument, the Grand Tetons, California, Hawaii and all over her home of Washington State. She was granted a one-month artist’s residency in Dinan, France for the month of September, 2013. She is a mother of four, living with her husband Mike in Bellevue.

I get super envious of Jan's stories and pictures of her hobnobbing with some serious world class artists. Here's Jan painting with Jeremy Lipking in Hawaii:

 

Having a chat with esteemed portrait artist, Everett Raymond Kinstler:

Spending time with Rosemary Thompson of the famous Rosemary brushes:

Of course, Jan is a fabulous artist in her own right. Here's a sampling of her art:

More at Jan's website, and in her PAWA gallery.

Woodinville Paint Out

I caught the tail end of this paint out, and met the last few painters by the pond at Chateau Ste. Michelle. Despite being less than 5 miles from my home, I've never painted on the lovely grounds of the winery, well known for being the pioneer that established the Washington wine industry. Close by the winery grounds are the Sammamish River, the trail right beside it, a lavander farm, and other wineries, breweries, and distilleries. So many things to paint in Woodinville, and certainly our paint out participants took advantage.

Thanks so much to Sue Thim for facilitating!

Here's some lovely artists:

And some lovely artwork:

(Robin Weiss)

(Jan Jewell)

(Brooke Borcherding)

Palouse

I wasn't able to go to Eastern Washington for the Palouse Falls paint out this year. I went to the Walla Walla paint out last year, and Palouse the year before, so I knew people would really enjoy painting over on the sunny side of the state. And from what people shared in our facebook group, it looked like a ton of fun! Or as Karen Bakke said "If this is what PAWA is all about, I'm HOOKED!!" Needless to say, I'm quite jealous of everyone who were able to make it there.

Here are some artists hard at work painting the majestic views by Palouse Falls:

 

:) Ok, some serious painting got done too:

I love Larry Walden's spicy apron! Big thank you to Melanie Thompson for facilitating, I think the Eastern Washington paint outs have turned into one of those "must-go" PAWA paint outs.

Blue Poppy Days

I never would have known about this gem, the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden in Federal Way, had they not invited PAWA to join in their Blue Poppy Days event. The Rhody Garden folks  were gracious hosts and even got PAWA members in for free! There is also a super fascinating bonsai museum attached to the garden.

The star of the event, the blue poppy

Jan Jewell painting the blue poppies

Jan also did this amazing bonsai painting!

I'm trying to keep this blog updated as much as I can, but as you can see, I can be a little behind. You can keep up to date with what our members are doing by joining our Facebook Group. Also, the PAWA Eventbrite page has our upcoming paint-outs. Speaking of which, the Woodinvile paint out is tomorrow June 5, and Saturday, June 6! I will be there on Saturday.