I decided to take on this project as a challenge. I thought and thought about what I wanted my
mannequin to look like, and the emotion I wanted it to impart, and I decided to
paint the mannequin as a limitless sky.
The significance of the unending sky for me, indicates several things -
one, the challenge presented to me as a new, unexplored area of my own
creativity; second, the mannequin itself represents the limitless opportunity
for us as humans to explore everything we possibly can - the universe is ours! Third, the immense vastness of the sky and
space gives us humans - us teensy tiny specs of carbon - the realization that
our time here is finite and virtually meaningless in the grand scheme of the
universe, and that we need to seize every single moment and make it our own,
because there is nothing else we can do.
"Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" is meant to impart the
universe's everlasting beauty and fascination for us; she becomes a tiny sliver
of our curious and immense universe that we can touch and feel.
She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science from the University
of Oregon, but not before gaining
an Associate Arts degree in Fashion Merchandising from the Fashion and Art
Institute of Dallas, TX and pursued a career in the computer field. Still, all
the while, wanting to incorporate her creativity into her work life, she had dreams
about being a full-time artist, but, like so many, didn’t know how to “swing it
financially”.
In 1989, she began taking weekly oil painting classes, and I fell
head-over-heels in love with color. Shortly after, Jana took several years
“off” to get married and raise children, but in 2001, her passion could no
longer be denied. She began painting again, and attended workshops by well-known
California artists, Robert
Burridge and Ken Auster. Her passion was re-ignited!
In September of 2007, she got the opportunity of a lifetime to be a full-time
artist, because she was laid off from a corporate job which turned out to be a
blessing in disguise.
“So, here I am! I have been so lucky in this life. My artwork has been sold
worldwide and I’m living my dream. Thank you for being part of it!” she says.
Jana's work can be found at:
http://www.janalauritsen.com/ 
