Jana Volkmer became an artist because she admired their ability to “capture something- a likeness, an essence, the atmosphere a subject inhabits or the rhythms of lines and patterns” she says.  As a child she delighted in the paintings of Thomas Cole and Albert Bierstadt at the Cleveland Museum of Art; later she was mesmerized by Seaside, Jean-Jacques Tissot’s famous portrait of a red-haired beauty daydreaming in a sumptuous white and yellow ruffled dress.

 It’s easy to see these influences in Jana’s style, which ranges from naturalistic to impressionistic, and in her subject matter.  Whether landscape or seascape, portraiture, still life or florals, she strives to capture the visual pleasure she discovers in her subjects, from geranium leaves fluttering in the breeze to the symphony of pinks and purples at Monet’s famous Giverny garden.       

Jana began her fine art training at Ohio Wesleyan University,  where she majored in interior design and studied painting.   Her early works were primarily in watercolors, during which time she studied under renowned watercolorist  Florian Lawton.  She now works primarily with oils and pastels.  While her medium has changed through the years, her favorite subjects have not, her primary focus being figurative, portrait, still life and landscape.

 In recent years her works have begun to gain much recognition. She strives to be artistically and technically accurate, while creating rich pieces that make a bold statement.  

 Jana is a signature member of the Akron Society of Artists, and is currently a member of the Board of Directors.  Her paintings have won awards in juried shows at The Massillon Museum of Fine Arts and The Canton Museum.  Her works are in private collections throughout the United States.