COVER STORY – Plein Air Painter
Jan Faerber
Jan Faerber is a winter resident here in Melbourne for four months. Her passion has always been drawing and painting, having graduated from Western Michigan University with a major in art and a concentration in oils. She taught art to elementary, middle school, and high school throughout her 30 years of teaching, but during that time, she took community classes in watercolor and fell in love with the medium.
After retirement, she rented her own art studio calling it Jan’s L’Atelier where she taught and is still teaching children and adults. In Michigan she belongs to SAWA, the Saginaw Area Watermedia Artists where she is president, and in Florida she is a member of BWS, Brevard Watercolor Society.
Jan has discovered “Plein air painting” which refers to painting in the out of doors. She does Plein air in MI as well as Florida. As a member of BWS, she leads the group in Plein air on Tuesdays from 9:30-12:30. While weather affects the ability to control the medium, she considers it a challenge. Her colleagues and she can be found painting together enjoying the sights and sounds of their chosen venue. Plein air has offered a way to meet one another safely as well as provide incentives to share their love of the medium of watercolor with one another. 
She has been a part of many shows, art fairs, and galleries in Michigan throughout her retirement and has exhibited her works of art for many years at BWS’ Splash show which has happened every year in February with the exclusion of 2021 due to the pandemic. She hopes to be a part of it again in the future. BWS has given many opportunities for her growth in watercolor as she has attended many 3-day workshops that it has offered for many years.
Jan has received many awards throughout her career and has sold paintings to patrons in many states, but she knows that she has not reached the pinnacle of her career. There is always more to learn and ways to evolve. 
BWS would like to extend its membership to the community and beyond by going to BREVARDWATERCOLORSOCIETY.org/membership
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