Local Artist's Watercolors Available at Sugarloaf

Watercolor artist Janet Ford has been participating in art shows for 30 years and will be at the

Ford, who has lived in the area since 1977, got her start in the professional art world through the Manassas Art Guild.

She described a time when she had the opportunity to display her art work at the big Christmas show at Laws Auction & Antiques, now just a distant memory of the 28 corridor. A reoccurring theme in her watercolor pieces has been flowers she depicted at the Manssas Farmer's Market.

Although Ford began working with watercolor in her early adult years, she has always "liked doing anything creative" and describes herself as "a serious hobbyist who evolved over time."

Ford said she was fortunate to find herself in a position early on to make a living with her craft, and describes her career "a lot like getting paid to eat ice cream."

Ford, who graduated with a degree in art, conducted teacher workshops for several years, but for the last 15 to 20 years, has traveled all over to display her work.

In fact, Ford will be headed to Florida in February for a whole month of shows. She will also be participating in art festivals in Williamsburg and Charlottesville as spring nears.

It averages out to about a show a month, Ford said of her schedule. 

A recent notable achievement was having three of her pieces chosen for a permanent collection at the new Martha Jefferson Hospital in Charlottesville.

This weekend Ford will be exhibiting her watercolors at the 14th Annual Sugarloaf Craft Festival at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly— a local show she has participated in for several years, starting in Gaithersburg, Md.

She said visitors this weekend will be able to see three new images she has been working on in addition to existing inventory.

The Sugarloaf Festival, which "will feature more than 250 of the nation’s most accomplished craftspeople," is taking place Jan. 27-29 from 10 am to 6 pm on Friday at Saturday; and 10 am to 5 pm Sunday.

For more information visit www.sugarloafcrafts.com, janfordart.com