Portrait with Blue Scarf Drawing

Janet Pedersen follows in the footsteps of her family as a plein-air painter. Three generations have found inspiration in ‘chasing the light.’ In her words: “When a scene strikes me, I want nothing more than to set up my easel and paint. Through bold color and loose brushwork my goal is to capture a moment or detail that stopped me in my tracks. Whether my subject is a landscape, a striking building or an interesting person, I strive to keep my painting fresh and in the moment.” Shortly after graduating from Art Center College of Design in California, she moved to New York City to pursue her career as an illustrator while working as a designer for several publishing houses. Eventually, she enjoyed a career as a children’s book illustrator and author. Among her many clients were Candlewick Books, Clarion Books, Random House and Penguin Books. Wanting to pursue the fine arts, she bought an easel and a bike, and began painting the landscape. “I fell in love when I began painting on location and still find it to be the best art education I’ve ever known.” A member of 440 Gallery in Brooklyn NY, Janet Pedersen has exhibited widely, and has had several solo shows in New York City. Recently, several of her dance-themed paintings were chosen to be part of the State Department’s ‘Art in Embassies’ program, celebrating the universal joy and borderless beauty of dance. The exhibition will be on loan for three years at the Residency of the U.S. Ambassador to Poland, Mark Brzekinski. She teaches on-line fashion figure drawing classes through Academy of Art University in San Francisco. In addition she teaches ongoing adult workshops through The Art Annex in Park Slope, Brooklyn, as well as private tutoring.