Jan's earliest art influences were Chagall, Pollock, Van Gogh, Sam Frances and Franz Kline. At the University of Texas she studied painting under the outstanding professors such as Peter Saul and Robert Levers. Her work focuses on the exploration of freedom through the medium of abstract expressionism. Her paintings have evolved over a number of years to reflect her own life experiences, the cultural influences at work in American life and the fundamental nature of individual freedom itself in her life. She uses a rich and varied palette and energized brush strokes to capture the essence of her concept of freedom. She strives to breathe life into her paintings and make them sing.