Jane was born in North Carolina, and grew up in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, where she also raised her son, who is now 23 years old. As a child she spent most of her summer hours in the woods and along the creek banks near her home...sometimes with wild playfulness, and sometimes with a gentle curiosity. "I have such gratitude for the way I was raised. My home was structured, yet full of creativity. Both of my parents are very talented, in so many ways. They nurtured my desire to explore...science, art, writing. Since moving to Raleigh, I've been working on my first book, and enjoy writing for my blog, Teeny Tiny Pieces, Along the Path to Wholeness."

With no formal training, Jane takes her inspiration from nature, family, music, travel, and books. "Often when I'm in the woods hiking, my mind is busy capturing the smells, sounds, colors, and textures of the forest. I pick up rocks, mossy sticks, and interesting leaves along the way. I can't wait to get back home to capture it all in my art. The canvas is a wonderfully accepting vessel."

"I generally paint in my garage studio, although sometimes I move out into the yard. I enjoy the close connection to the earth while I paint. It's very soothing. I also love to listen to music when I paint. New Age, Jazz, Latin...Enya and Jack Johnson are favorites. The music and the colors allow my mind to wander to a place where anything is possible, and whatever direction my brush stroke takes is okay."

As a mother and as an elementary school teacher, she has always enjoyed exploring creativity with children. "I think I enjoyed it as much as, or more than the kids did. It's fun to see what happens when an 8 year old encounters watercolor, salt, and scissors....amazing stuff!"

Though she sometimes plays with watercolor, she began painting with acrylics in 2009, and generally paints abstract acrylics on canvas. Her work has been displayed at the Arts Council of Fayetteville and at the Visual Art Exchange, in Raleigh.

A portion of all art sales will be donated to arts related organizations or a non-profit of the artist's choice. This month's artist has chosen Arts For Life: Durham (Duke Children's Hospital and Health Center) as the recipient.