Jan Brown

A life-long resident of Michigan, I began early to show a spark of art talent.  I continued throughout my school days furthering this and eventually received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from MSU.  Teaching art in the Wayne-Westland School District was a joy, but due to constant layoffs, I eventually went into the classroom and enjoyed being artistic in the way I taught a variety of subjects.  Since my retirement I have attended classes at Birmingham-Bloomfield Art Center and have enjoyed the mentoring of Meighen Jackson, an instructor there.

I’ve been working within the realm of abstract expressionism for the past four years. I work in acrylics because I work fast and they let me. Visual space intrigues me and I’m always looking for ways to create it using color, line, and textures. Meighen Jackson, teacher and mentor at the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center, has had a great influence on the direction of my art. I’ve learned to push and pull with colors, how to let a drip become the essence of a painting, how an energetic scribble through the paint can create a line of intensity.  I always love to hear what viewers see in the pieces because it always broadens my view of the work!