My name is Jane Birks and I live in Cheshire with my husband and family, Milly the dog and Jessie cat!

I did art at high school to A level and a further couple of A levels in ceramics and graphic art at college a few years later but always ended up with rather disappointing grades.

After a few years of working as an artist  in advertising, printing and then a few more with horses, being a qualified riding instructor, I had a family and retrained in Early Years, becoming a preschool worker. One day a colleagues asked me to draw a dog as a gift and my current situation grew from there.

Four years later I am working part time at the nursery, and part time painting at home. I specialise in pet portraits, and animals in general. I rarely attempt human subjects, and have very occasionally done a landscape. But animals remain my passion and inspiration.

I paint in gouache, usually on watercolour board, unless I require a coloured background when I use Paint On paper. On odd occasions I have used acrylic and graphite but prefer my old favourite.

My aim is to build up my commissions enough to retire from my ‘proper’ job and concentrate on what I love doing, painting beloved pets, and creating my own artwork for cards and prints.

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pg/petportraitsbyJaneb

Instagram:   art.by.janeb