Life Painting

Artist and teacher Jane Aston has painted throughout her career and now passes on her skills via art retreats and workshops. With home studios in both Alvechurch, UK and Campoverde in Spain, her life is full of variety and it's reflected in the diversity of her art.

Whether preparing for her next art exhibition, visiting her suppliers, cataloguing her paintings, organising a new art retreat or writing her monthly newsletter, Jane Aston fills her time with colour, magic and joy. We interviewed Jane to learn more about her busy life.

Why do you create?

I love being an artist! Creating art enables me to express my feelings and makes me feel good. It soothes my soul and heals my mind and body. It gives focus and structure to my life. I also love inspiring other people to express themselves through their creations.

I remember scribbling in books and on my bedroom wallpaper just to express my feelings as a young child. I used to love Sunday mornings listening to the church bells and colouring in my comic magazines as neatly as possible. It was such a treat! I guess it's become ingrained into my personality.




Art was my favourite subject in school and from an early age I always knew I wanted to be an art teacher. My bubble was burst at college when one of the professors told my whole art group that we would never become artists, we were there to learn how to teach.

I became an amazing teacher and climbed the promotional ladder 'til I reached the glass ceiling I'd set myself! However, I no longer created artwork and became ill with chronic fatigue syndrome.

I started to create art again in 2009, after my late husband died. It was my therapy! A way of expressing my feelings and a place of sanctuary where I could go into the flow of painting. I slowly healed.




Lockdown in March 2020 enabled me to spend more time creating art uninterrupted. It gave me structure and focus in my days in isolation. My husband Paul set a table up for me in our snug and it became one of my current studios.

I began by making gifts for my family. I worked from photos of their favourite pets and brought them to life on canvas. I was so surprised that I hadn't lost my skills of creating colours. I then found online courses and developed my skills in oil painting and in creating colourful intuitive paintings. I am now a professional artist operating as Jane Aston Studios; an art teacher, demonstrator and organiser of art retreats and workshops.

How and where do you work?

I work mostly in my home studios in Alvechurch and in Campoverde, Spain. But I also love setting up a makeshift studio when I'm travelling in my motorhome, or when I'm teaching or demonstrating at art society venues and my art workshops.

My favourite location so far is in a Spanish hotel on the Mar Menor for the art retreat I hosted in September 2024 and 2025. I'm organising the same retreat again this year and spaces are filling quickly. Full details can be found on my website.

No two days are the same in my studio! I've always loved experiencing such variety. I may find myself preparing for my next art exhibition, visiting my printer, framer or art material supplier and photographing or cataloguing my paintings. Preparing my next demonstration or workshop requires a lot of time and energy. I need to order stock and prepare and pack art supplies and resources. I love writing my monthly newsletter, occasionally updating my website, posting on Instagram, marketing my next art adventure and last but not least, actually painting. I must admit it's been very hard at times to get the balance right!

Where do you get your inspiration?

I am inspired by my travels, especially around Spain where the light is so very different to that in the UK. I find music, poetry and my spiritual meditations to be also truly inspirational for creating intuitive paintings in beautiful colour palettes. I always listen to music when I'm painting. I popped on some music at one of my art demonstrations and it took me straight away into the flow of painting!




In total contrast, I absolutely love creating commissioned pet portraits from clients' photographs. I edit these photos to create a composition that I think will work best. Illustrating the animal's essence of spirit is key! People are amazed that I can capture the personality of their beloved pet. My experience of working with animals over the years has enabled me to do just that. Experiencing the owner's surprise and joy is truly motivating.

What influences your work?

I feel excited when people resonate with my work, want to commission a painting, or want to own one of my paintings or prints. I enjoy hearing their description of the story they see in the essence of spirit portrayed in my paintings. My adopted motto is 'every picture tells a story and every person sees a different picture'.

Although I enjoy painting alone in my studio, I prefer being part of a community. I was fortunate enough to be invited to join eight professional artists called the North Worcestershire Artist Collective. We meet monthly to create art and share ideas. It's a joy to exhibit our art together.




With the help of my friend Sue, I've started a group called 'Wednesday Wanders'. Once a month we visit local art galleries and museums, cathedrals, historic homes and beautiful places. It's wonderful to spend time with like-minded people, and it's also very inspirational. I’m looking forward to holding them again in the future as they were so popular.

However, I've realised that what I love more than anything else is teaching and inspiring others to enjoy the process of creating their own artwork. It's rewarding to see students have so much fun and enjoyment from taking part in my art adventures.

Every day is a school day for me! I could have been a full time student. I love learning new things. Continuing professional development has always been high on my list of priorities, which helps me to share new discoveries and other ways of doing things with my students and newsletter subscribers. It's such fun too!

Where do you sell your art?

I've sold most of my original artwork and prints on a one-to-one basis at art exhibitions rather than from my website or Instagram. It's such a joy meeting a person who resonates with one of my paintings so much that they want to take it home.




My favourite exhibitions have been held in my own studio, as part of the Worcestershire Open Studios event. However, I've also enjoyed having my art work sold at The Purple Galley in Bournville and The Creative Art Showcase. It was a delight to receive an email that one of my paintings had sold without any input from me! I also display at The Artrix in Bromsgrove.

How do you promote yourself and your work?

All of the events and activities at Jane Aston Studios are promoted in my monthly newsletter which goes out to my ever-increasing group of readers. I love being a member of the Worcestershire Open Studios. Their website is a perfect place to advertise all of my events.




I regularly use Instagram (@janeastonstudios and @artretreatswithjaneaston) as a means of promoting the events and art activities that I take part in. It's become a bit like a diary, but more! I've made many Instagram friends and have met up with several of them over the years. It's lovely that we have so much in common.

In fact, I was so concerned about the possibility of losing my Instagram friends that I decided to go independent and write my own monthly newsletter. This was a huge step for me, but I realised that I love sharing my knowledge as an artist and teacher with my subscribers. In turn, they enjoy reading about my latest adventures, tips and tricks, recommended books and art exhibitions. You can sign up to my newsletter on my website.

What are your future ambitions?

I would like to build on the success of my Spanish art retreats by organising more, and possibly arrange other retreats in the UK. I'm also planning to start an art adventure club - rather like an art retreat but on a smaller scale. I'm currently exploring new venues. Watch this space!




I'd also like to spend more time actually painting. There is something so magical about meeting up with a group of like minded people who want to explore an area and actually paint. My guests leave my art retreats feeling incredibly energised and motivated to produce their own style of art work. We meet as strangers and leave as friends.

Do you have any advice for other artists?

The key to success is knowing what you want to do. Explore and experiment with what you love doing best. Discover what brings you most joy and happiness and do more of it.

'Think big' and just do it. Don't underestimate yourself. Don't wait for perfection to strike, or to feel in the right mood to create, because that moment never comes. Establish a regular routine and practice and a safe place to experiment. Don't listen to naysayers or so-called 'experts', create what your heart desires because that's where the magic lies.




Once you are happy with your work, decide what you would like to do with it. Would you prefer to decorate your own home, gift it to friends and family, exhibit and sell it, study more, or teach others? Always ask yourself where and how, and then create a plan of discovery. I heard someone recently use the words "Believe, Behave, Become!" - amazing advice for every artist.

Make sure you spend time feeling inspired and energised. Don't burn yourself out. Don't work in isolation. Join a community of artists, visit other studios and art establishments, learn from other artists that you admire, take the best tips and mould them into your own practice.

Don't be in too much of a hurry - lack of time creates pressure, which takes the joy away from creating. Whatever you do, don't keep your work a secret! The world needs your art to shine a light and to bring joy to others.


Many thanks to Jane Aston for providing such wonderful answers. You can see more of Jane's artwork by visiting her website, or by following her on Instagram.