Janet (Jan) Nelson was born in Glasgow in 1956 and brought up on the East coast of Scotland. Mainly self-taught, she studied for three years at Leith School of Art in Edinburgh and has been painting for over 25 years.

Working on a part time basis initially whilst earning a living in the world of commerce, she is now happily painting full time from her studio overlooking the beautiful Kyles of Bute, where work can be combined with her other great love of sailing.

To maintain that genuine feeling in the paintings, Jan takes part in as many sailing activities as work will allow! This year she will be racing in Scotland on a Hawk-20 Dayboat and will also crew on a Hunter Formula One at Rutland Water during the National Championships in June. Last year, Jan spent Cowes Week racing on a Clipper 68 – ‘Derry-Londonderry’, which had just returned with the rest of the Clipper Fleet after their round the world race. The adrenalin rush and action on board the boat that week has been a great inspiration for many of the racing paintings.

Although the majority of Jan’s work relates to the sea, she is also an accomplished landscape painter where a passion for nature comes to the fore, particularly in her floral works. She works mainly in Acrylic, but paints well in watercolour and oil, depending on the subject matter.