Artist touches others through beautiful writing
Artist Jan Kruger’s main goal is to touch the hearts of others with her creations.
Her art form is calligraphy, which is the art of beautiful writing. Kruger, 60, specializes in words and quotations combined with torn hand-made paper, paint, collage, gold leafing and designs that add layers to her one-of-a-kind art pieces.
“I love people. My line of quotations is a way for me to bring loving, encouraging words and cast them into the universe,” she said, “Each of my quotations touches my heart in some way. It is always my hope that they will, in turn, touch someone else.”
Imagine, for example, having a framed version of this quote by an unknown author: “We should treat everyone as though they had a broken heart, because they probably do.”
You begin your day by repeating the words to yourself, and, Kruger hopes, the words will change how you interact with others.
Walking through her 650-square-foot studio/shop attached to her Valley home, visitors are bombarded with artistic reminders to live, laugh, love or even just stop and take a breath.
A gift box that Kruger created called “31 Affirmations” is 31 hand lettered and decorated sayings that are meant to start each day with an inspirational nudge including:
• I am beautiful just the way I am
• Three things in life are most important: to be kind, to be kind, to be kind
• I try to understand my past. I will learn from it but not dwell in it. I am free
“Art is important to our world because art gives us beauty,” Kruger said, “It brings a softness to our everyday situations and takes us out of our problems, if only for a moment.”
As a child, Kruger was surrounded by words. Her parents are writers and have owned and published technical magazines. Her favorite toy as a child was crayons, with their smell, sharp points and colors. In high school, she was introduced to calligraphy and it became her passion.
At Gonzaga University she initially majored in art. As a sophomore, an art professor crushed, but did not destroy, her dreams.
“He told me I would never be an artist and that I should change my major.” It was a turning point for Kruger and she ended up with a major in communications and a minor in art.
She continued her art education at the Spokane Art School, the Oregon School of Arts and Crafts and many calligraphy conventions and workshops. In 1995, she attended a yearlong study in Seattle.
Recently Kruger was the featured artist at Pottery Plus Place in Auntie’s Bookstore. She also sells her work at the spring and fall Custer Arts and Crafts shows; crafts shows in Pullman and Portland; and at select stores throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Her business, Jan’s Designs, is in her Valley home where her most prized piece hangs in the window. It is a hanging flag with a single blue star and the words U.S. Army and her son’s name, Andrew Trosky. (check out bluestarmothers.com)