Today we’d like to introduce you to Jane LaFazio.
Jane, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
When I was a child, I would visit my father once a month, at his apartment in San Francisco, (my parents were divorced) and not only would he take me to museums, plays, and craft fairs (and to Haight Asbury!) he encouraged my creativity by making things. In his kitchen, he had a card table set up, laden with treasures like glitter and pipe cleaners and crepe paper. We would work there together, during my visits. At each holiday, as I recall, he made me giant Easter eggs full of candy, or two foot high Christmas trees of crepe paper, that I would take home on the train. (Usually, the creations needed their own seat!)
My mother, a working single mom of two, condoned my creativity by the simple unspoken rule, that if I was doing something creative (perhaps rearranging my doll house, drawing, or building a flag pole from broom handles in the backyard) she would not interrupt me to do chores. I was 16 when my mother brought home a stitchery kit (as a gift for a cousin.) I commandeered it and began my love of hand stitching. For many many years I worked kits of crewel work, needlepoint, and counted cross stitch. When I went back to school, in my late twenties, I took graphic design classes. I knew I loved working with my hands, but didn’t think I could ‘draw.’ I went on to work in technical illustration, graphic design and marketing for about 15 years.
It wasn’t until my husband’s brain aneurysm, in 1992, that I discovered I could draw and was an artist. My husband, Don, was 46, and had a brain injury. He had to learn to walk, talk, read and write all over again. I was his 24 hour caregiver. I was losing the “Jane” in me, while grieving my husband’s cognitive losses and the future plans we’d made. I signed up for a drawing class, every Tuesday morning. I realized I could draw! The teacher moved away, and the class became a watercolor class. I didn’t want to change to watercolor, but it was my only free time during the week, so I became a watercolor artist. Over the years I added collage, and mixed media, and textiles to my artist repertoire.
My husband’s brain injury forced us to recreate our lives. He is my biggest cheer leader and supporter now, while I work full time as an artist and teacher. I work hard now, at what I love.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When I first became a full-time artist in 1998, I thought I would sell my art in street fairs and galleries. This was before the explosion of internet commerce. I soon realized that I was competing for art sales with the whole wide world!
I gradually starting teaching, first with children, and then morphed into teaching adults locally. In 2010, I was asked to teach internationally, and it’s grown from there.
It turns out that teaching is a much steadier income than art sales.
Please tell us about JaneLaFazio.com.
I make art and sell it in my JaneVille Etsy shop online. I teach art in San Diego, and internationally. Workshops from one day to 10 days. I’m known for being a very good teacher and a very creative artist.
I can teach someone to draw even if they haven’t drawn since 4th grade. I teach drawing and watercolor, mixed media and art quilt classes. I think what sets me apart from other art teachers is that I’m fun, and very encouraging to students. I want them to succeed in class and laugh a lot too!
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I had a happy childhood with my mother and older brother. We lived on a street with other kids on the block and a creek behind our house. I was allowed to be creative and play and feel loved and safe. My monthly visits to my Dad in San Francisco provided culture and adventure and make my world bigger.
Contact Info:
- Website: JaneLaFazio.com
- Email: Jane@JaneLaFazio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janelafazio/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JaneLaFazioArtist/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/JaneLaFazio
Image Credit:
Roxyanne Young
Tina Larkin
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