By Shya Beth
Horses have been the main focus of Janet Ferraro’s art, and the process of painting clients’ horses is almost as sacred as the strong bond of love between horse and human. Being an artist is being asked to convey the beauty and spirit of this divine creature for each person, and that’s something that moves Janet in a very deep and personal way. In its simplest form, Janet sees that being an artist is to honor this bond of love through her art.
“Being in nature is the adventure I seek,” Janet said. “Animals delight my heart and fill my senses with joy and wonder. Being surrounded by a herd of Bison and seeing a pack of wolves with pups in Yellowstone was a wonder to behold, and some of my favorite memories are exercising polo ponies when I lived in Hawaii. I’ve been fortunate to have diverse adventures with a wide range of horses and wildlife.”
Fashion Success
Like many little girls in and out of the horse world, Janet was obsessed with all things horses. From pretending to be one to begging her parents for her own horse, she had to settle with horse summer camp and an occasional ride at a riding stable. It wasn’t until her mid-20s that Janet purchased her first horse, and that was made possible from her artistic pursuits of a different kind: fashion.
“I had always loved to draw as a child and was very good at drawing and also very artistic in nature,” Janet shared. “At an early age, my sister taught me how to sew, and I made a lot of my clothing while in junior high and high school in my home state of Washington. When I was 19, I vacationed in Hawaii, where my aunt and uncle lived, and was offered a job with a swimwear store. Soon after, I ventured out on my own, designing and sewing beach and swimwear for my own company, called It’s Hot! Hawaii in Honolulu, Hawaii.”
Janet’s swimwear company grew very quickly, and by the time Janet was 25 in 1986, she had 26 employees, she was selling her clothing to hundreds of stores in the United States—as well as dealing with all the challenges that come with this type of success. It was this time when Janet felt her childhood passion for horses calling to her, and she sought out that connection again to help melt away the ever-present stress and the never-ending to-do list of an employer and young entrepreneur.
“I found horses to be a balm to my heart and soul,” Janet said. “Their presence filled me with joy and calmed my spirit. I began by taking English riding lessons, and soon after, a friend introduced me to a local man who had a string of polo ponies and was looking for someone to help exercise them.” This was a dream come true for Janet, galloping for 25 minutes through the jungle foliage of Waimanalo, Hawaii, cooling each horse down, then taking out the next.
“I would rest each horse under the Banyan tree and pick guavas as we rode back to the barn, sharing them with each horse,” Janet shared. “I found myself going there almost every day after work…it became a passion, and I had found my true connection with horses once again.”
Journey of Transformation
With the costs of running a large business and stores canceling large orders due to the recession of the ’80s, Janet was burned out emotionally. Her cousin, Cathy Smith, had an Arabian horse ranch for over 30 years in Arroyo Grande, California, and invited Janet to stay for a long visit. Janet’s life was transformed by living on a horse farm, seeing new foals on the ground and the daily life of living with horses. “I love ranch life,” Janet said. “Being totally immersed with the horses and the people who loved them…I made many good friends during this time of my life.”
In 1999, Janet married her husband, Art, and moved to Santa Cruz, California. Soon after, Janet became pregnant with their daughter. A few years later, when their daughter was in kindergarten, Janet started taking life drawing and painting classes at a local college for two years. Horses were one of her favorite subjects, but she was unsure if that passion was a path to being a successful artist. It wasn’t until the sad day when she learned that one of her best friends’ husband passed away that she knew in her heart that the true path would be to paint what she loved the most—the horse.
After creating a body of work of the horses that she loved in 2008, Janet applied to the Santa Cruz County Open Studios Art Tour and had a successful first art show. Janet’s work has progressed significantly since then, and she now uses several different artistic mediums to convey each subject’s movement and story in her art. The way charcoal moves when drawing offers expressive blending, and soft pastels give the desired color when not working in monochrome. The last six years, oils have been one of her main mediums, using both the palette knife and brushwork for different textures.
“I would love to try combining charcoal with oil paint,” Janet said. “Combining the line work of charcoal with this medium is appealing to me, as I continue to paint the horses and animals that dance in my mind’s eye.” Janet never tires of painting and drawing animals, as there is always something new to try. Partaking in art shows and creating new work is only part of Janet’s schedule, as she makes time to create videos to help other artists learn her painting and drawing techniques. Life is filled with unknown adventures, and Janet is excited to see what lies ahead.
For more information, visit janetferraro.com
