Jan Allmon was born and raised in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country. She was interested in art at an early age and took lessons on weekends as a young girl. Her love for old stone buildings and rolling farm land influenced many of her early paintings. Pennsylvania’s art heritage is rich with these influences. Majoring in fine art, Jan received a BFA degree from Bowling Green University in Ohio and studied with nationally known workshop instructors in both watercolor and oil. She worked for several years as a freelance and commercial artist. . In 1985, Jan and her husband, Jim, and three daughters moved to the quaint village of Woodstock, Vermont. They opened Gallery On The Green in 1988. As a regional venue for New England artists, the gallery established itself as one of the most acclaimed fine art galleries in the region. While in Vermont, Jan traveled extensively through New England, painting mountain and lake scenes, perennial gardens, and her favorite coastal Maine subjects. She exhibited in Ogunquit and Souhtwest Harbor, Maine in addition to her gallery in Vermont. A highlight in her life’s journey was in 2002. She and Jim traveled across America and visited over forty states and 1000 art galleries over a five-month period. She painted the scenery that celebrates the diversity and natural beauty of America’s landscape. They referred to their trip as their Van Go adventure, because everyday they got in the Van to Go experience a new horizon. After leaving Vermont in 2002, she and Jim opened Gallery On Merchants Square in Williamsburg, Virginia. In 2008, Jan and Jim returned to Ohio where Jan opened Jan Allmon Studio Gallery in Worthington, Ohio. Now living in Northern Virginia near their daughters, son in laws and grandchildren, Jan offers private oil painting classes in her studio. Collectors may visit her studio by appointment by calling 703-965-2388. Painting is a passion she loves to share with others. She enjoys experimenting with different techniques and subject matter. Colors are often enhanced or dramatized to achieve mood effects. The application of paint with a palette knife is used to create heavier texture in some of her compositions. She describes her painting style as contemporary realism. She is a member of the American Impressionist Society and Oil Painters of America.