Florida Artists Group

  Area VII Member

  Janis Balabon— Oil Painter

  Janis Balabon

Debra
48x48


  Janis Balabon

Ford
24x20
  Janis Balabon
  Janis Balabon

Olivia
36x26
  Janis Balabon
Judge Judy and Judge
Jerry Sheinlin
43x43

 Janis' Web Site

Contact Email Address

Member of Flag since 1992
Chair Area 7 :

  Janis' Bio

Janis Balabon was born in Iowa and spent her young adult life there. She earned an Applied Arts degree from Hawkeye Institute and taught Life Drawing at the Institute. She studied with several major portrait artists and developed her own technique. She moved to Florida in 1985, she taught at the Cape Coral Art League. In 1994 she entered Art Fair Show in Naples. Florida. It was a very successful show and basically the start of a very exciting career. Because of the success, she did two or three jury shows each year but now down to one. Earlier her shows generated commissions, but today most of her commissions are referrals. Three commissions were the result of recommendations from Art Galleries to their clients, with no monetary remuneration, only the thanks from their client. In 1993 Rev. Seraphim Michalenko, Association of Marian Helpers, Stockbridge, MA. saw one of her paintings in an art magazine and was impressed with her painting of the hands and commissioned her to paint St. Faustina Kowalska with the Divine Mercy. She later was commissioned by the Vatican to paint Blessed Stanislaus Papcznske and Blessed George Matulaitus and also two versions of the Virgin Mary, one showing her pregnant. Because she did not have to make a living from painting, she is able to keep her portraits affordable. Probably because ot that and the quality of her work, she is at the top or near the top in the number of commissioned oil portraits owned by clients worldwide. Among some of her honors, her self portrait won first place in the Florida Artists Group 50th Anniversary Show, also "Fipesco" first place Art in Public Places "Airport Art Exhibit" Ft. Myers, FL. and "The Bride" Best of Show, Florida State Association of National League of American Pen Women. She paints to please her clients and to enhance her legacy. She believes that what one master portrait artist said "every bloody inch is important". She strives that one hundred years from now if an art historian critiqued her work would say "that artist knew what she was doing". Her greatest rewards comes from her clients.