About the Artist, Jan Settle

As a child growing up in Culpeper, Virginia, Jan Settle spent many memorable summer days with her mother, Betty Jolliffe, a member of the original Culpeper Art Group, now known as The Artists of Windmore, attending various art group meetings and shows. Jan's lifelong exposure to and passion for the arts led to a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Interior Design from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA.

Having worked in the field of interior design and various other forms of art and design for over 30 years, her interest has now turned to painting in water media. Although her subject matter is varied, her recent focus has been on the creation of animal portraits, concentrating on their eyes as a means to capture the souls of these sentient beings. "I try to make a heart connection with each animal to insure that he/she is portrayed as authentically as possible. I am most satisfied when a client can feel the same passion for the painting as they do for their pet. This is especially important to me when painting animals that have passed on. My highest goal is to honor each animal that I paint by depicting their personality and essence ."

A large collection of her animal portraits are on display at The Inn at Wintersun, near Asheville, NC., where the owners have commissioned her to do all of their animals, living and deceased, numbering nearly thirty. For more information, please visit http://www.innatwintersun.com/.

Jan has recently painted several dogs trained at the ATF Canine Training Center in Front Royal, VA and certified by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to do detection work for the federal government.

Jan's painting, "King of Free Reign" won the Viewers' Choice Award at the 2007 Artists of Windmore Exhibition at a gallery in Virginia.

Jan and her husband, Ricky, live in beautiful Rappahannock County, Virginia with their Sheltie and two Himalayan cats.

Information on consignment procedures, framing options and pricing is available by contacting Jan at or by phone at (540)937-2294 or (540)219-6259.