By Elizabeth Cloutman

It wasn’t until just 10 years ago, when her three children reached their teens, that Jane McCullough became a watercolor artist.

“Until then, the last art class I had taken was in junior high,” the longtime Los Altos resident said. “I always knew I was artistic. I knew there was something there, but I didn’t know to what extent until I really began to pursue it in 1992.”

McCullough took private lessons with two professional artists who quickly recognized her natural gift. “One thing led to another,” she said. “I had lots of encouragement as I went along, and by 1999, I was being accepted in national shows.” She does both commissioned portraits and figurative compositions in her home studio.

This year, the American Watercolor Society chose her painting “In Concert” for both its 135th annual international exhibition, as well as its annual traveling exhibition. She received an artist’s achievement award for “In Harvard Square” at the Northwest Watercolor Society’s 62nd annual open exhibition in Seattle. She participated in the Silicon Valley Open Studios in April and will exhibit her work at Viewpoints Gallery in September.

Watercolor can be a challenging medium in which to work because the paint is much more difficult to control than oils or acrylics, but McCullough was not intimidated.

“I always knew that if I did art, it would be watercolors,” she said. “I like the fact that it has a mind of its own and having to control it. It’s inexplicable for a watercolor artist. It’s a controlled accident, really.”

Nothing appears at all accidental in McCullough’s paintings. Her favorite subject is people, and probably even the casual viewer would probably observe how well she seems to be able to capture thoughts and emotions in her subject’s facial expressions.

“The greatest challenge for an artist lies below the surface of the realistic image,” she said.

McCullough said she developed her artist’s eye by choosing photography as a hobby, beginning on her honeymoon with husband Rob.

“You see the world differently through a camera,” she explained. “I’m looking for people in provocative moments, whether it’s an impression or a setting.”

Even though she is inspired by the realistic images of the camera, her paintings are not exact photographic replicas.

“In terms of technique, I like soft, not hard edges,” she noted.

Still she likes to use in her paintings the play of light and shadow on people’s faces that she sees when she looks through her camera lens.

“I like to have depth in my paintings, with very rich darks.”

McCullough finds deep personal satisfaction in doing what she loves. “I feel very thankful,” she said. “I feel God has been very kind to me. It’s a real privilege to be able to paint.”

For more information or to contact McCullough, logon to www.janemccullough.com.