Jan first produced Monotypes in her third year at Winchester School of Art whilst studying for her Textiles and Fashion Degree, and only recently rediscovered her love for Monotype and other printmaking processes. Jan says that she particularly loves the ‘immediacy and versatility of this technique’ and the majority of her examples that you can see below have been created not using a press, but printed by hand on Japanese paper. Within this Monotype process, Jan registers her plate and often prints thirty or more layers for the opportunity to create delicate mixes of colour and variation of tone.

Jan uses linocut like the graphic appearance. Initially, Jan’s linocuts were small scale only A5 in size, (14.8 cm x 21.cm), but gradually the scale has increased and most of her linocuts now tend to be A3 in size, (29.7cm x 42 cm). Sometimes Jan uses a single plate, but more often will use multiple plates and sometimes the reduction linocut technique. Take a look at Jan’s linocut work to see the results of this artistic process that result in visually textured and overall enticing artwork.

Jan likes using collagraph techniques because of her love for different textures that can be achieved from it. There is such a wide variety of techniques that make up this process that Jan feels has only just scraped the surface, but eager to explore more into this technique and the vibrant work that can be accomplished.

Jan uses watercolour both in her sketchbooks and in her individual paintings. As Jan is all about versatility in art, she finds this streak in watercolor painting describing it as a “versatile medium that can be used in a wide variety of ways within different mediums and media”. While being versatile, Jan portrays the delicacy of landscapes and objects such as flowers and grasslands within the imagery that can be seen in her watercolour artwork.

Jan’s technique when using acrylic paint to create some of her textile designs, work brilliantly when painting her canvas artwork. The idea behind acrylic painting is that they are very versatile and can be applied thickly or as a transparent layer used on canvases, paper, boards and in sketchbooks - a perfection variety of uses ideal for Jan’s artistic direction.

Mixed media is a term that Jan uses for her collage artwork of landscapes, seascapes and places which are available to buy from Jan’s shop, together with some commissioned artwork for the award winning Wonston Arms Pub and illustrations for Lisa Faye Broadhead's book, 'Practice or talent'. Jan uses a variety of art papers, newspapers, watercolour, pen and ink and hand painted maps to create the artwork that you can see illustrated below.

Paintings

Jan uses the term ‘paintings’ loosely as quite often there is a crossover between painting and drawing. Jan loves using watercolour on her individual paintings, but also loves using it to mock up ideas and draw up inspiration in her sketchbooks. You can often see the combination of watercolor matched with charcoal, graphite sticks, oil pastels, gouache, pencils, pen and ink all come together that blanket each piece as seen in Jan’s sketches below.

Drawings

In line with Jan’s overall artistic direction inspired heavily by nature and wildlife, whenever Jan goes walking she ensures she has her camera ready to snap some photos for artistic inspiration. Alongside a camera, Jan brings with her on her walks a small drawing kit including an A5 sketchbook, various pencils, charcoal and graphite sticks, oil pastels, conté crayon, pens and ink just in case there is an opportune moment to sketch.