Jane Elizabeth ... more about me
Hello! My name is Jane Shank. I own Omni-Impressions Graphic Design Studio and Jane Elizabeth Art. I am a member of Iowa Artists, Southeast Iowa Artist Studio Tour, and Iowa Pastel Society.
Facebook Says my brain is 63% artistic
That’s not a very big percentage in my book… Stuff like that is all it takes to put that seed of doubt in my mind. People often ask me if I was always an artist? Well I didn’t base that decision on a Facebook quiz! How did i become and artist? Honestly, I didn’t know I was. I knew I always wanted to be an artist but didn’t make that decision till much later in my life. I think a lot of people know that they are an artist but afraid to admit it. My dilemma was if I called myself an artist…”What would people think of me? Would I have to prove it somehow?”
A little background
I grew up in the midwest. I was born in Wisconsin and When I was 7 moved to Prophetstown, Illinois and again When I was 12 to Clinton, Iowa, My Grandparents had a summer home on Madeline Island. I spent every summer on Lake Superior at the family cottage with my Grandparents and cousins. Sometimes I was up there for as long as a month sometimes only a couple of weeks. Today I own a share of that cottage and spend as much time up there as I can because it’s a place I feel at home.
I was the first born and first grandchild. My mother and grandmother tried very hard to make me a prodigy child of something. I remember taking ballet and tumbling, swimming lessons, piano lessons, guitar lessons and most of them went by the wayside quickly.
I was my father’s son and a bit of a tomboy. I loved to be outside, riding my bike, climbing trees, playing with friends, exploring by the river. I was a very smart little girl but I didn’t really fit into anybody’s mold. On my own I started to paint and draw. My mother got me “how to draw books”, oil pastels and other supplies from the dime store. I spent a lot of time alone trying to learn to draw horses and other animals.
My First Sale
I sold my first drawing to a neighbor lady when I was 5 or 6 years old. I wanted a quarter for it and she negotiated me down to a dime. I am not sure if I was a artist but I was apparently a salesman from a very young age.
My First Commission
During high school I was commissioned to paint a mural in the biology room. It was a landscape showing above and below sealevel and the animals, plants and organisms that dwell at each layer. I doubt that it would be allowed these days… but my payment was an A in biology. I took a tour at our last class reunion and was shocked that my mural was still there.
I doubt that it would be allowed these days… but my payment was an A in biology
I was blessed with some really fabulous art teachers and a lot of encouragement from them to keep learning. I struggled to find anything that sounded like a good plan for my future. I graduated Clinton high school, attended Clinton Community College and got married shortly after.
I left Clinton and moved with my husband to Washington, Iowa in 1989. The artist in me wasn’t replaced with becoming a wife and mother. But being a wife and mother overruled my personal needs while the kids were young. As my children got older and I had more time and I started to feel a void. I remember being vaguely aware that a much needed change was around the corner but I really had no idea. I tried many things not really understanding what I was missing.
When I was about 30 my cousins visited me from Montana and stayed for a year or so. They got me started painting with oils and from that moment my pursuit began. I began to search out mentors and books to learn more.
Instruction & Mentors
In 1998 I began painting with Donna Guy which continued on and off for 15 years. influenced me by showing me how important composition is in art.
In 2003 I mentored under Anita Swartzendruber she taught me about how art tells a story.
Over the last 10 years I have learned more about technique through workshops and on-line courses. I have taken classes from many fabulous artists including:
Tom Nachreiner
Johannes Vloothuis
Alzora Zaremba
David Garrison
John Preston
John Evans
Cécile Houel
I am currently working on a themed exhibit for a gallery on Madeline Island. A lot of what I consider my best work comes from Northern Wisconsin and Lake Superior. I really enjoy painting water, boats, sky and sunsets.