Life & Work with Jan Heaton

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jan Heaton.

Hi Jan, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew up in Detroit. My grandfather was a design engineer for Henry Ford. My father was a display artist, calligrapher and sign painter. My mother was an illustrator at General Motors, and an accomplished artist in multiple mediums. As soon as I could hold a pencil they shared with me the tools of creating art. Mom set up still life’s on the dining room table to sketch from on snowy, housebound days. My brother and I learned from our parents how to observe, isolate, and find beauty in the smallest details. I learned that practice, persistence and repetition is key. I attended weekend studio classes at the Detroit Institute of Arts from the age of 10 to 14 where I studied the Diego Rivera murals and sketched with inspiration from the master works. I attended Cass Technical High School in downtown Detroit, a music & art college preparatory magnet school. I discovered watercolor in high school. I love working on paper, the transparency, fluidity and spontaneity of the medium, and the ease of transporting minimal materials. Our class would head out and paint the freighters on the Detroit River, the elderly people sitting on the park benches, the first flower of spring popping up through the gray, crusty ice. When we depleted our water supply we painted with melted snow. I worked in advertising for over twenty years as a graphic designer, art director and production director. I left advertising over ten years ago to paint full-time. I have discovered that every job has contributed to my career in some way. My art dealers tell me that I am super organized. I still love excel spreadsheets and consider social media my online focus group.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
My biggest challenge making art this past year has been time. There are never enough hours in a day. I am also not sure what the word bored means. During the past year with the Covid pandemic my time has been more limited to make art. My daughter, Allison, lives in Austin. With two small children, two parents working full-time remote from home, and zoom schooling my help was needed! I still managed to find time to paint. Staying safe at home since March 2020 has been a new experience for all of us, but I find myself grateful for the moments that have evolved from this isolation. Being able to have concentrated time with my Austin family. Drawing new chalk art on the driveway every week with my granddaughters, kid art projects galore, enjoying family meals, squeezing in a game of Scrabble when we can. Seeing neighbors who are eager to say hello, families riding their bikes together down the street, and a community of compassion that has developed. Life has definitely slowed down this past year during the pandemic, but the importance of family, friends, and community has become more evident.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My artwork is a visual journal. My work is inspired by the healing properties of nature. For two years I lived in Laguna Beach. Helping my courageous daughter, Kristin Heaton Peabody, and her family as she went through treatment at Moores Cancer Center-UCSD. Kristin lost the battle to cancer on February 7, 2019. The quiet morning walks on the beach were a significant part of my healing process. Every morning I woke feeling she was right there with me. Time does not stand still. It keeps on moving, and we go forward with the journey. It doesn’t get easier, just different. I miss her every day. My paintings are personal observations of color, movement, relationships and forms in nature. I prefer the watercolor medium, as I love paper. Painting on cold pressed Fabriano 100% cotton paper I build translucent, veiled glazes of color, allowing the forms and values to evolve in a detailed and orchestrated manner. I work in a series, which permits the wet color to dry thoroughly between layers. The images are not restricted by the paper’s edges. Every random mark is there because it needs to be there. The reputed “happy mistakes” are planned and controlled. The spherical lines in my work are simple, bold, direct, sensual, playful, and often mysterious. The curve of the lines is influenced by my interest in calligraphy and recalls harmony, rhythm, movement, patterns, and symbolic metaphors. In my work the shapes exist independently and in groups, referencing water patterns, the cross-section of a shell, rounded rock forms, or the shape of a bud.

My intention is not to impose a specific message to the viewer. I prefer my paintings will allow the viewer to observe a familiar object from a new perspective. I am back living in Austin now, working on a body of work that will be exhibited at the Davis Gallery in Spring 2022. My first solo show in five years. Breathe. The work reaches for a quiet place. A place to be grateful and affirm that life is fragile. I am thankful for every day. Instructions for living a life. Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it. ― Mary Oliver

What do you like and dislike about the city?
I have lived in Austin since 1975. My daughters grew up here. My very best memories have been formed here. I appreciate living in a city that is dynamic, constantly evolving, and growing. A city with expansive rolling hills, clean water, and a respect for our natural resources. A city that attracts young talented professionals. A city that supports a growing community of visual artists, musicians, and live theatre. A city with year round farmers’ markets, innovative chefs and a growing restaurant scene. A philanthropic city that emphasizes, and values giving back. I love Austin.

Pricing:

• $300 – $10,000

Contact Info:

• Email: jan@janheaton.com
• Website: janheaton.com
• Facebook: facebook.com/Jan-Heaton-Studio
• Other: pinterest.com/jcheaton/

Image Credits
1. Studio color photo: Photographer: Jennifer Sparks 2. Panoramic B&W studio photo: Scott David Gordon