Meet the artist: Jane Kalmbach
Hometown: Kenmare, N.D.
Where can we see your work?
Online:
dakotablessings.com
www.etsy.com/shop/
DakotaBlessingsArt
Facebook:
facebook/Dakota
BlessingsArtStudio
M & K Pizza Hub, Kenmare
Gathering Grounds, Kenmare
Taube Museum, Minot
Bismarck Art Gallery
Do you have work for sale?
Yes, locally and on my Etsy website.
In what media do you work?
I started working in soft pastels and charcoal; in the past year, I have created more with oil pastels and color pencil. I have also worked extensively with acrylic and watercolor paints.
How would you describe your style?
Realism.
Who would you say have been influences on your work?
My biggest influence has been my father – when I started creating art, he encouraged me and helped build my studio, which has made a huge impact on my art career. My family and friends have also been very supportive and encouraging.
Are there particular themes you like to explore in your work?
I enjoy painting animals, specializing in dog portraits. Nature and music have also inspired much of my work.
What do you most enjoy about the creative process?
I enjoy the quiet of my studio, being able to start with a blank paper or canvas and seeing it come to life. While creating the coloring book, it was so fun to collaborate with my daughter. We would continually pass the pages between us, making the illustrations much more interesting as we waited to see what the other added or enhanced to a general idea. We are currently finishing our second N.D.- themed color book, representing N.D. seasons and wildlife.
Tell us a little about yourself:
I grew up on a farm in rural N.D., where my love of nature and animals began. I loved to create art as a child, but set it aside while being a mother and piano instructor for 24 years. I have been pursuing my art now for 14 years. I always strive to learn more and develop better techniques, not only for my own work but to help in teaching art classes. I teach in public schools and in my private art studio, along with my partnership with the USFWS Jr. Duck stamp program, where I travel around the state and assist students to create an entry for the state contest.
I am an artist-in-residence with the NDCA, a visual arts instructor for MACA, co-founder and instructor for the Kenmare Summer Arts Institute, and a Certified Zentangle Instructor. My work has been shown in several galleries throughout the state, and two authors have selected paintings of mine to publish as illustrations in their books.
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