ABOUT THE ARTIST

About Michele Janee:

Art has always been my passion and has come out in many creative forms. Raised in Santa Barbara and spending my childhood outdoors and camping, I have a deep appreciation for the unspoiled natural world and a special draw to the ocean. Painting is my first love with art and each painting is a learning experience and a discovery of interacting with nature more intimately. I enjoy painting landscapes en plein air and my process is one through a colorist’s eye with layers of color creating a weave of texture. To truly see something is to paint it.

After obtaining a degree in Studio Art at UCSB in 1990, I worked for ten years as a graphic artist for a medical company, before embarking as a freelance designer. In 1996 I had the opportunity to learn from the renowned graphics pioneer, Milton Glaser in New York. I’ve also enjoyed experimenting in other creative outlets such as photography and working with new material with my mixed media. More recently I have gone back to painting and have had inspirational instruction from well-known landscape painters, John Comer, Michael Drury, Marcia Burtt, Meredith Brooks Abbott and John Iwerks. I am a member of SCAPE—Southern California Artists Painting for the Environment, and focus to paint on my beautiful surroundings. I have won awards, the most recent is my logo to represent the 2011 City of Solvang Centennial celebration.

See more of Michele’s artwork on her website: www.michelejanee.com.