AOM May: Jan Russell

Artist of the Month for May is Jan Russell who has won numerous prizes for her work – from Muswellbrook to Kilcoy.

Jan painted and drew up to her teen years and then had a break of some thirty years, apart from having a go at drawing for the local show, before taking up the brush again at her sister’s behest by introducing her to Max Watters, a professional artist who held a painting group at his home and proffered his guidance.

Jan has always enjoyed drawing and painting from childhood – it wasn’t Christmas without a tin of watercolour paints. Jan enjoys painting in oils and pastels and, after going to acrylic classes with Tracy Bennet in Woodford, spends the majority of her painting time with this medium. Pastels are her next preferred medium and she also spends time drawing in pencil and dabbling pen and wash and charcoal.

As to subject matter, Jan has no particular preference, whether it be still life, portraiture or landscape. Each genre has its own idiosyncrasies so as she keeps going she keeps learning and that learning will continue as long as she paints – no matter the medium or the subject.

Jan signs her paintings and art work with her maiden name, Devine, as acknowledgement to the origin of her being able to paint and draw. You can view Jan’s paintings at the gallery until the end of May.