Biography
Born in Denver and raised in
Southern California, Janet has always loved to draw and work with her hands.
Disappointed in her high school art program, she took up leather carving in
1972. She learned by buying books on the subject and made gifts for friends and
family.Over the years, Janet became more interested in intricate figure carving and spent many hours learning the skill. Eventually, she began selling her work at local shows in the San Bernardino Mountain area of California.
In 1992, she moved with her husband, Steve, to Breckenridge Colorado where she found her heart in painting. Painting on feather started as a novelty item to sell with her leatherwork, but soon became an obsession, Powered by her love of animals and nature, Janet dove head first into the art of feather painting and soon found the need to display her work in a truly unique way.
Janet decided to mount and frame her feathers and in the process, developed a knack for putting together a complementing arrangement, using deerskin, smaller feathers of varying shape and color, a variety of semi-precious gems, crystals, and other items that add to the mood of the painting.
In order to create an original mat style, Janet enlisted the help of her husband, Steve. Together, they worked on a way to cut the mat to match the shape of the feather and arrangement. Several unsuccessful attempts at using commercially made mat cutters prompted Steve to invent his own mat cutting tool. With many hours of practice, he accomplished his goal and ended up with a new style of mat carving.
Janet and Steve have traveled the west since 1993, participating in art shows, festivals, and even gem and mineral shows. They recently moved to Congress, Arizona, near Wickenburg, with their three dogs and three horses, inheriting six chickens in the process.
They thoroughly enjoy meeting people who collect their work and they make regular donations to various wildlife preservation groups.
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