Janet Smedley is both the mother of and daughter of an artist.

For Smedley, that meant growing up with the smell of oil paint and an early trip to Florence with her mother to see the masterpieces of the Uffizi Gallery. Janet continued to expand her exposure to the great masters by traveling to France to see the Matisse Museum, and trips to Paris and Amsterdam. Smedley walked the Camino de Santiago in Spain, with a stop in Madrid to see the Velasquez Room in the Prado Museum.

Smedley’s journey began at the Rhode Island School of Design where she received her BFA and B Architecture degrees. Working in Washington DC and then Chicago, exposed her to world class art and architecture.

Janet went on to study both fiber arts and painting at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago where she received her MFA.

In 2008, Smedley took up painting full time, fulfilling her dream of a lifetime. Working in oils and acrylics and textiles, her work is in collections in New York, Pennsylvania, Nashville, Vancouver and Sydney, Australia.

Janet believes it is important to feel part of the continuum of art through the centuries, to see the world through other artists' eyes.

Smedley continues to travel the world and visit art on her journeys. She lives and works in a historic 18th century town in Pennsylvania with her husband.