About the Artist
Jan's Bio, Awards & Affiliations
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 averages 1-2 works each 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 en 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 in the USA and Internationally, at local shops, at artisan festivals, and even has sold them to a major motion movie set. She participates in art exhibitions and events, and has been chosen to show in several prestigious juried exhibitions throughout the 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 as she can and currently resides with her husband in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia, USA. She has studied with Sara Oakley, Pat Fiorello, Amanda Lovett, Suzie Baker, Stephanie Amato, Carol Marine, Bill Davidson, Anne Blair Brown, Margaret Dyer, Michelle Held and Vicki Norman.
AFFILIATIONS
Oil Painters of America-Associate Member
American Impressionist Society-Associate Member
National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society-Associate Member
The Quinlan Visual Arts Center-Gainesville, GA-Member
Monroe-Walton Center for the Arts-Member
Lake Lanier Plein Air Painters-Member
ONGOING 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, Savannah, GA (5 works)- and awarded FIRST PLACE COMPOSITION-Spring 2021
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)
Quinlan 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
Quinlan GALA Annual Auction-Spring 2023 (3 works)
Suwanee Arts Center Spring Exhibit - Spring 2023
AIS All Member Paint Out, Knoxville, TN -April 2023 - sold painting at event
1st Annual Art Walk - Gainesville, Ga - April 2023
Olmsted Quick Paint, Atlanta, GA - April 2023 - sold painting off easel at event
Summer Blooms Art Exhibit at Atlanta Botanical Garden (2 works)- Summer 2023
The Bascom Members Challenge: Origins juried Exhibition - late Summer 2023
AIS 3rd Annual Associate Member Online Exhibition - late Summer 2023 for "Bluebird"
Suwanee Arts Center Members' Exhibit - late Summer 2023 - 3 works
Monroe-Walton Center for Arts Regional Juried Show - Fall 2023 - 3 works
Blue Ridge Mountains Art Association's Quick Draw event, GA - September 2023 - sold painting off easel at event
Buford Plein Air event - September 2023 - awarded a PURCHASE AWARD by the Historian of Buford for the Buford Museum
Georgia National Fair Fine Art competition and exhibit, Perry, GA - October 2023 -awarded a SECOND PLACE & THIRD PLACE
Tannery Row Juried Exhibition - Fall 2023 - 2 works
MWCA Member Exhibition - Winter 2024 - 3 works
Georgia's DNR Weekend for Wildlife Auction in St Simons, GA with the Governor - I was asked to donate a piece for the Winter 2025 event
Art with a Heart Auction for the Humane Society of NE Georgia - I was asked to donate a piece for the February 24, 2024 event
Quinlan GALA Annual Auction-Spring 2024 (2 works)
Tannery Row Juried Exhibition - Spring 2024
Suwanee Arts Center Spring 2024 show
Gainesville's Second Annual Art Walk - Gainesville, GA on 4/18/24
Eatonton's One-Day Paint Out - 4/27/24 - won SECOND PLACE for "Trestles"
Gilmer Arts' Art in the Mountains Plein Air event - May 2024 - sold two pieces at the event
Sugar Hill's Sugar Rush Juried Exhibition - Fall 2024
NOAPS 2024 Associate Online exhibition - late Summer 2024 for "Bluebird"
Quinlan's Georgia Art League's Community Art Show - HONORABLE MENTION for "Firebird"
Blowing Rock, NC Plein Air Festival August 2024 - sold all 3 works at event
MWCA's Fall Juried Exhibition - Fall 2024 - 3 works
Cumming Arts Center "Elements" Fall 2024 - 3 works
Tannery Row Juried Exhibition - Fall 2024 - 3 works
Daily Paintworks Salon - won JUDGE'S PICK for November 2024 for "Zeus"
Daily Paintworks Salon - won JUDGE'S PICK for December 2025 for "Merry Merry"
Daily Paintworks Pick of the Day - January 12, 2025 for "Grazing"
Quinlan GALA Annual Auction-Spring 2025 (2 works)
Forgotten Coast Quickdraw - March 2025 - won HONORABLE MENTION for "Salty Shadows"
Invited to present a solo show at the renowned Quinlan Arts Center, Bailey Gallery, Spring 2025 - 30 works
Daily Paintworks Pick of the Day - April 6, 2025 for "Circle of Life"
Tannery Row Juried Exhibition - Spring 2025 - 2 works
Daily Paintworks Pick of the Day - June 18, 2025 for "A Boy and A Boat"
Suwanee Arts Center Summer Juried Exhibition - Summer 2025 - 3 works
Daily Paintworks Salon - won JUDGE’S PICK for May 2025 for “A Boy and a Boat”
NOAPS 2025 Associate Online exhibition - Summer 2025 for “Friends Forever”
Daily Paintworks Pick of the Day - July 25, 2025 for "The Flowing Silence"
Suwanee Arts Center Fall Juried Exhibition - Fall 2025 - 2 works
Blowing Rock, NC Plein Air Festival August 2025 - sold all 3 works at event
Daily Paintworks Salon - won JUDGE’S PICK for August 2025 for “Friends Forever”
MWCA's Fall Juried Exhibition - Fall 2025 - 3 works
Selected to participate as one of 30 artists in the 5th Anniversary Brevard (NC) Plein Air Festival September 2025
Tannery Row Juried Exhibition - Fall 2025 - 2 works
Daily Paintworks Salon - won JUDGE'S PICK for September 2025 for "Feeling Crabby"
Daily Paintworks Salon - won JUDGE’S PICK for November 2025 for “A Boy and a Boat”
Daily Paintworks Salon - won JUDGE’S PICK for February 2026 for “Swan Song"
Art with a Heart Auction for the Humane Society of NE Georgia - I was asked to donate 3 pieces for the February 2026 event
Quinlan GALA Annual Auction-Spring 2026 (4 works)
Forgotten Coast Quickdraw - March 2026 - won THIRD PLACE for "Dockside Duet"
The Salmagundi Club's 48th Annual Open Exhibition (NYC) - June 2026
The Portrait Society of Atlanta's Portraits of the Animal Kingdom Online Exhibition - Summer 2026 for "The Watchful Perch"
Studio Texas' International Online Exhibition - July 2026-July 2027 for "The Watchful Perch"
National Oil & Acrylic Painters' Society (NOAPS) 2026 Associate Online Exhibition - August 2026-August 2027 for "Elegance in the Shallows"
CURRENT & UPCOMING EVENTS
also see information under "events"
