Art & Life with Jane Barton

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jane Barton.

After 25 years as a nationally recognized graphic designer, illustrator and portrait artist, Jane Barton, like many illustrators in the past, made the transition from commercial to fine art. She has studied with some of the best practicing artists in the country. Jane maintains a rigorous schedule of regular solo shows and her paintings have been accepted in prestigious art shows across from coast to coast. She works both in plein air (on site, out of doors) and in her Scottsdale studio. After receiving a degree in English from Boston University, Jane was accepted to the one of the finest art school in the country, the American Academy of Art in Chicago. She accepted a job as an apprentice fashion illustrator at Newman Studio in Chicago, where she received further training from the artists who illustrated the Sears and Montgomery Ward catalogues. Ms. Barton attained the rank of Senior Illustrator with work in national publications such as Seventeen Magazine before moving with her family to Tucson Arizona, where she continued to illustrate for Levy’s Department Store and other national retailers.

When photography took over fashion illustration, Jane learned computer graphic design and, still using her illustration skills, opened Jane Barton Studio with clients such as Hughes Missile Systems (now Raytheon). She is the recipient of many national design awards and is featured in the book, Prints Best Logos and Symbols.

After earning her Masters of Art in Illustration from Syracuse University, Jane began teaching art classes for the University of Arizona and workshops in Tucson. In 2000, Jane took her first of many courses at the Scottsdale Artist School and began her present career as a fine artist, both in Plein Air (on site) and studio oil paintings. She has been a lecturer and blogger for the prestigious national organization, Oil Painters of America, written about in numerous magazines and teaches both privately and in workshops. In 2014, Jane moved to Scottsdale to be near family and really has enjoyed her new city.

Currently, she is offering a Traveler’s Creative Sketchbook class at the Scottsdale Artist’s School, combining her love of travel and art. https://scottsdaleartschool.org/course/the-travelers-creative-sketchbook/

Her paintings can be seen on her website and in shows across the country.

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS:

SALMAGUNDI CLUB, ARTIST MEMBER
AMERICAN WOMEN ARTISTS (AWA), SIGNATURE MEMBER
OIL PAINTERS OF AMERICA (OPA), ASSOCIATE MEMBER
AMERICAN IMPRESSIONIST SOCIETY (AIS)
ARIZONA PLEIN AIR PAINTERS (APAP), SIGNATURE MEMBER

Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I started painting after I interviewed many Western artists for my master’s thesis. I realized that they were continuing the path of many artists over the centuries: trying to record/preserve a disappearing world, Some of the ranches and gardens I’ve painted no longer exist and I’m so glad I “caught” them on canvas or paper. I’ve painted all over the world, but Arizona is very special to me. We have that wonderful “wild west” spirit and a landscape that varies from dry desert to mountain snow. I love the miracle that happens every spring, when our spiny cactus and sculptural trees burst with blossoms and beautiful green, lavender, orange, yellow, blue and white flowers all over the valley and mountainsides. Lately, I have been creating a painting that is more abstract, combining my years of representational training with the color and design of emotions. Whether I’m painting outside under blue skies or inside my studio from studies and photos, I consider myself a very lucky person!

In your view, what is the biggest issue artists have to deal with?
There are so many talented artists and so many ways they communicate, especially today with the internet. I think it’s a great way to show your work, but it’s a challenge to cut through the clutter.

What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
My website has my present and past work, as well as blogs about my painting thoughts and travels. Instagram @janebartonstudio has become another wonderful place to see and comment on my life in art. I show at many art shows around the country, but otherwise, paintings can be bought or commissioned directly from me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.janebartonstudio.com
• Email: jane@janebartonstudio.com
• Instagram: janebartonstudio
• Facebook: janebartonstudio

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