Today we’d like to introduce you to Jane Anne Woodhead.
Hi Jane Anne, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I grew up with parents who were both amateur artists who painted on the side. My father was a landscape architect who was trained professionally in design, composition, and color. It was from him that I learned how to draw in perspective. My mother also helped cultivate my creativity by providing my sisters and me with art tools that were readily available in the home. As time went on, my parents began to collect art and they had good taste. That influenced me as well.
As a young girl, I felt like I had a little bit of talent, but not enough to really develop it further. It seems silly to think about now, but I didn’t realize becoming proficient in something took more than talent or even a desire, it simply took a lot of hard work and practice. At that time in my life, I didn’t understand how to learn. I loved drawing horses and flowers, but beyond that, it hadn’t entered my mind that an art career could be possible, or that I was capable.
I had no formal training until I went to college. I earned my degree in interior design where I learned foundational principles of design like composition, color, rendering, drafting, and architecture (all by hand). I loved all those classes and did better in my design classes than any others I took in college. However, I remember walking by the fine art student’s work in the halls, wishing I could do what they were doing. By the time I graduated, I realized I didn’t want to be an interior designer after all. Even though I had earned a degree, I wasn’t excited about doing interior design for other people, and I already had my first child, so I spent the next few decades raising four children, volunteering for church and school and my focus was on them.
As time went on however, the desire to create never left me. I was always dabbling in something creative. It filled a need for me that felt innate and the desire to be an artist continued to build in me year after year. By the time my children were mostly out of the house, at age 51, the desire was so strong I couldn’t ignore it any longer and I got up enough courage to sign up for an art class. It was a scary thing for me to walk into that class not knowing the first thing about how to mix paint or even what brushes to buy, but because my feelings were so strong, it pushed me to get out of my comfort zone. It’s hard to describe, but it felt as if God were pushing me to do it. That was 8 ½ years ago. One of my first art teachers opened my eyes to the kind of work and practice it takes to do something well, and at that point, I had enough life experience to understand and put it into practice. I learned that it is never too late to become versed in something new, the importance of being comfortable with new experiences, and that it takes a lot of work beyond talent to do something well. I still have a lot to learn, but I am grateful that God gave me enough courage to walk into that first art class.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been easy. One struggle for me has been to harness a bit of perfectionism into a more healthy mindset. In the beginning, I knew enough not to have unrealistic expectations about my skill level. I loved all the new information I was learning and it was wonderful. As time went on, however, I began to realize how much I didn’t know and I became impatient with the learning curve. I wanted to get better faster. In some ways, that is what drove me to work so hard. I pushed myself to improve my skill level because I felt like I had to “catch up” but I was not ever satisfied and was easily discouraged. When I realized that the very best artists are always trying to improve and never quite feel like they’ve made it, I began to relax a little and tried to enjoy the process more. I began to have more grace for myself and the learning process, while still keeping that drive to learn and improve alive.
I am inherently an introvert. That has been a challenge for most of my life, and one of the reasons I decided I didn’t want to be an interior designer. In my mind, interior designers were extroverts. It was also one of the reasons it took me so long to take that first painting class and why it felt so scary and difficult to put myself in uncomfortable situations.
That leads me to what I believe was my biggest obstacle, which is I didn’t start until I was 51 years old. I felt like my age was a detriment. But what I have come to understand is that my age, and what I’ve been able to accomplish, is what actually sets me apart. In some ways, it might be an advantage for me as well. I have realized that I would not have been able to do what I am doing now with art, when I was younger. I needed life experience to get me to the place where I was ready emotionally and spiritually to be the kind of artist I wanted to be in the first place. The fact that I have found a little bit of success later in life has reinforced this idea in my attitude and actions. I feel that there are still plenty of obstacles to overcome as an older artist, but my overarching feeling is that God blessed me with art when I was ready. I have taken advantage of opportunities that have helped me learn and grow in powerful ways.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am primarily a landscape artist and I paint with oils. My parents instilled in us a love of, and appreciation for, the beauty of nature. We spent most of our time together either hiking, working in the yard, skiing, or swimming. It is that love of being outside that I hope to honor and share through my paintings. During the stillness of the early morning, or the warmth of the evening light, I feel especially grateful to be a part of God’s creations. It is that feeling I hope to honor and share through my paintings. Ultimately, I hope the viewer of my art will feel a similar connection and it can become a shared experience.
I feel like my work falls somewhere between impressionism and realism. I’ve heard artists describe their work as modern impressionism and I think perhaps my work fits there. I am inspired by Russian impressionists and traditional work by both old and living masters. I enjoy painting both alla prima (wet on wet) with loose brush strokes as well as developing more form in larger paintings where I can add some layering and texture.
My process usually starts with painting a study from life on location (plein air – French for painting in the open air). From there, I take the studies, along with photo references, into the studio to create a more refined and larger studio piece.
What are your plans for the future?
I hope to focus on producing a better body of work for my galleries, take some painting trips, and allow time for some personal projects. I’ve been taking some figure drawing classes because I would like to add figures to a few of my landscapes, so continuing to study the figure will be part of my future as well.
I am so grateful to those who have mentored and encouraged me along the way, and for those who have collected and loved my work. And I’m especially grateful that I get to have this wonderful career at this time in my life.
Contact Info:
- Website: janeannewoodheadart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jane.anne.woodhead.art/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jane.woodhead/
