Jane's Story
Jane Appleby is a passionate painter, spending much of her time in nature collecting inspiration and expressing what she calls the “visual music” of the landscape.
She works on location or from her Burnaby studio in oils, acrylics and watercolours.
Initially self-taught, she has received a certificate of Fine Arts Technique at Emily Carr University and also obtained a Biology Degree from Simon Fraser University.
As an instructor, Jane enjoys encouraging people to be creative. She has instructed for the Burnaby School Board, Place Des Arts in Coquitlam, The Okanagan School of Arts, Banff’s Whyte Museum and internationally on Cunard Cruise lines.
Jane’s book, “The Purposeful Brush” shares her paintings and words on the creative process.
Jane’s art has received several awards, including an award of excellence from the Federation of Canadian Artists Abstract Show 2012, and 2nd Place in the Plein Air Competition 2020 at the McMichael Art Museum.
Jane’s paintings are collected internationally and have been exhibited in Canada, Spain, Monaco and Italy.
Her artwork is currently represented by Mountain Galleries in Whistler, Jasper and Banff, and Lloyd Gallery in Penticton, BC.
Please visit her website: JaneAppleby.com
I recall one of my first experiences of joy and awe of nature was discovering seashells along the beach and gazing at the snow-covered mountains so close to home.
Today I see the snow’s white as an invitation to paint a large white canvas.
For many years, I have been painting on location, grasping nature’s amazing forms and colours, trying to capture the essence of their lively presence and impactful influence.
I bring this type of adventure to my recent canvases. In these works, I am not concerned about rendering the subject realistically but expressing a personal connection to the landscape, both internal and external.
The sense of freedom and discovery that occurs as I work with the properties of paint is what enlivens the work. I let the colours drip and flow allowing them to mingle wet on wet. Then I layer transparent glazes to make new colours and add opaque passages and highlights, texturing with various tools while imagining rhythms that move through the work.
The variety of colours and the way they are applied are a response to the moment’s inspirations. In this way, I compose something new each time.
The dynamic aspect of the painting as it unfolds expresses a part of the natural landscape I have experienced, as well as the song in my heart that seeks to be played out.
