At a young age Jan loved to paint. Her parents recognized her raw talent and encouraged her to stay with it. During the 1960s she joined an art group when she was living in California. In the late 1960s she moved with her two daughters to Tempe, Arizona. A few years later she met Bill Hagara through a common interest in photography. A deep friendship developed and two years later they were married.
Jan continued to expand her painting with water colors. Bill soon gave up his job selling stereo equipment when he thought he was better suited to market his new wife’s art. Jan’s art shows began in Phoenix and soon expanded into southern California. Their schedule soon became packed with appearances at shopping malls and street fairs. They expanded their trips to include Texas for more exposure.
Since the 1970s, Jan Hagara has been one of America’s favorite painters of children in vintage, turn of the century clothing. Her early style was called a Country Victorian technique. Gradually her interest changed with the use of romantic themes in her paintings. Her style has now been referred to as Romantic Victorian. Many of the children are shown holding a toy or a doll. Adrianne, a young girl who lived across the street from Jan, was one of her first models. Jan also utilized her oldest granddaughter, Sharice in her paintings.
Jan teamed up with Royal Orleans in the 1990s to create unique porcelain figurines based on her paintings. The Jan Hagara Collectibles were marketed as “The Original in Romantic Victoriana”. There are several steps in transforming a painting into a figurine. A detailed drawing is made of the painting. A close up view is done of the model, outfit, shoes, accessories and any toy being held. Each of the figurines require delicate colors to be applied to set off the style that Jan requires. Depending on the figurine, some may have up to a dozen different moulds to include the dolls, dresses, hats, toys that will make up theme of the figurine. Jan’s designs are sometimes difficult to produce since she is so meticulous on the quality on them. Only the best painters are utilized to paint the soft facial details.
Her figurines have received different types of awards for their superior quality. Jan’s diverse line of figurines offers different styles to meet the interests of a variety of collectors. There are limited edition figurines, furniture pieces, shelf sitters, animals, busts, dolls, prints, plates, miniatures, watches, checkbook covers, note cards and greeting cards.
Once you learn about her style, her figurines are easy to spot. Jan has also made sure that all of her figurines are marked with Jan Hagara Collectibles. If you are looking for something different to decorate a special spot in your house, then the Jan Hagara figurines may meet your needs. The nice thing is that they are small and don’t take up a lot of room. They can easily fit into any situation. See what you can find in your travels.
Happy Hunting! |
