About the Artist

Growing up next to a nature preserve in the Pacific Northwest, Janene spent many childhood hours immersed in nature.  During her career as a garden designer in Portland, Oregon, she sought to create spaces that would bring that same sense of beauty and peace to her clients.

When she had the opportunity to delve deeper into the study of art and plants through an intensive diploma program offered by the Society of Botanical Art in the UK, she jumped at the chance.  She graduated with distinction in 2013.

Since then her paintings have been in several international juried shows in London, Frankfurt, New York and Washington DC.  Her paintings have shown in regional shows in Portland, Oregon and the San Francisco area.  Janene is active in the American Society of Botanical Artists and is former president of Oregon Botanical Artists.

Her goal as a botanical artist is to create artwork with balance, movement and expression.  She edits, adjusts and rearranges her subjects to maintain botanical accuracy yet add an artistic flair.  She uses watercolors to achieve clear, bright colors that match the colors of nature.  One of her favorite surfaces to paint on is calfskin vellum, which has been used by artists and calligraphers since before the Renaissance, and results in richly colored, glowing, organic looking paintings.

She seeks to heighten awareness of the fragility and beauty of the natural world through her paintings, particularly the native plants and threatened species of the Pacific Northwest where she lives.  Her work brings the beauty of nature indoors.