Jan Best, Fine Art

Although drawing and sketching since childhood, Jan Best has been painting on and off since she discovered her passion for painting as a teenager, when she took a class as a high school elective to fill her school day. Jan went on to earn her Bachelors of Arts in Journalism at the University of Georgia and began her career in the advertising media buying field. Jan has since had several career changes, from stay-at-home-mom, to freelance advertising media buyer, to Irish Dance teacher to Horse Show manager/secretary. Naturally, college, work, family, and raising her two children limited her painting one piece every 3-4 years, usually as gifts for family. When she became recently empty-nested, she rediscovered her passion, and now paints 1-3 works every week.
Jan works mostly in oil (while dabbling in acrylics and pastels here and there), and often works Alla Prima (in one sitting). She also enjoys painting Plein Air (outside, on location) as well.  Her work is a mixture of contemporary realism and impressionism. Her favorite subjects are landscapes, seascapes, birds and animals. She is known for keen portrayals of light, water and reflections. 
Jan has sold her paintings online throughout the United States, at local shops, at artisan festivals, and even has sold them to a major motion movie set. She has taken commission paintings when requested, including many pet portraits. She participates in art exhibitions and shows, and has been chosen to show in several prestigious juried exhibitions throughout the Southeastern USA, while also receiving awards. A huge supporter of her local community, Jan has also donated and had her paintings sold in several local charitable auctions.  Always learning, she attends workshops and classes as she can and currently resides with her husband in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia, USA.  She has studied with Sara Oakley, Pat Fiorello, Marc Hanson OPAM, Dottie Leatherwood, Amanda Lovett OPA, Suzie Baker OPA, Stephanie Amato, and the faculty of Plein Air South (including Greg Barnes, John Guernsey, Michelle Held, Manon Sander and others).
AFFILIATIONS
Oil Painters of America-Associate Member
American Impressionist Society-Associate MemberAmerican Women Artists-Associate Member
The Art Colony of Gainesville, GA
The Quinlan Visual Arts Center-Gainesville, GA-Member
The Booth Museum-Cartersville, GA-Member
Monroe-Walton Center for the Arts-Member
Virginia Highland Plein Air Painters-Member

GALLERIES
Oakley Gallery (inside Out of the Cedar Chest Antiques & Interiors) in Gainesville, GA (Current)
Hemlock Studio Gallery in Clarkesville, GA (Current)
CorkHouse Main Gallery in Savannah, GA (until its closure)

AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
Juried and accepted into the following exhibitions:
Tannery Row Juried Exhibition - Fall 2019
North Gwinnett Arts Association Winter Exhibit 2020 (3 works)
Monroe-Walton Regional Art Show-Fall 2020
CorkHouse Small Works Show-Spring 2021 (5 works)- and awarded
"1st PLACE Composition"-Spring 2021, Savannah, GA
Asked to join the Main Gallery at CorkHouse-Summer 2021
Quinlan GALA Annual Auction-Spring 2021 (2 works were selected to be part of this prestigious event)
Quinlain GALA Annual Auction-Spring 2022 (2 works)
Monroe-Walton Regional Art Show-Fall 2022 - awarded "Honorable Mention" 
Tannery Row Juried Exhibition - Fall 2022
Monroe-Walton Members Exhibition-Winter 2023 - awarded "Honorable Mention"