Local artist, president and co-founder of the Equine Arts Guild, and former Nickel Plate Arts Studio Artist Jan Snyder will showcase a new collection of art in our Stephenson House gallery in August. Her exhibit, “Pathways,” will feature the results of her exploration into a looser, freer style of painting.

“I’m embarking on new and exciting changes in my personal life, leading me down new paths, so this title is more than appropriate!” she says. Snyder’s curiosity about the world comes through in her multifaceted creative endeavors. She has a background in graphic design, but has painted animals, mandalas and even children’s faces as a part-time face painter. Her high school art teacher — who strongly influenced her — often stressed realism, which led her to a four-year focus on animal portraiture. Following her love of horses, Snyder has created many equine-themed works.

jan Snyder
horse painting

A new shift in focus comes from a desire to explore less controlled, realistic styles. Snyder is open to inspiration in even the simplest elements of her day-to-day existence — the play of light through a canopy of trees or a morning mist rising from Morse Lake near her home. She continues to allow her curiosity to drive her.

“I have always been drawn to paths, whether it’s a deer path I find while hiking or simply a winding driveway,” she says. “I want to see what’s at the end of that path, and all the intriguing plants and wildlife with their myriad colors along the journey.”

For more information about Jan and her work, check out her Facebook page.

scenery painting
horse jockey painting