By Julie Osterman
Like many artists, January Jorgenson always knew she wanted to be a painter but was encouraged to seek a more “practical” career. After studying biology but spending most of her time in art classes, she decided to follow an artistic path instead. Her career has taken many directions, including designing “wearable art” in the 1980s (“Thank God we don’t dress like that anymore!” she says with a laugh) and home accessories. But when the Iowa-born artist moved to Scottsdale, AZ, and was exposed to an abundance of artists and galleries, she realized that her dream of painting wasn’t so far out of reach. “Until I saw other people doing it, I didn’t think it could happen,” she recalls.
Jorgenson now lives in Tucson, AZ, and paints floral still lifes with a vibrant palette and thick paint. “I love color and pattern and texture,” says the artist, who studied with Arizona landscape painter Kent Wallis at the Scottsdale Artists’ School and is a member of Oil Painters of America, the Association of Women Artists, and the Tucson Plein Air Painting Society. “Some artists choose to simplify; I choose to adorn.” Her paintings are on view through May 31 in a solo exhibition at Cosmopolitan Fine Art in La Jolla, CA. She is also represented by El Presidio Gallery, Tucson, AZ; Galleries Extraordinaire, Denver, CO; and www.januarystudio.com.
Featured in “Artists to Watch” May 2006