Writer and Illustrator

Biography

Janina Pechova was born in Prague, which, she says, is a distinct advantage for an artist. "On Sundays my father would take us for ‘cultural walks’ and during the week I often bunked school and went to the Botanical Garden, a gallery or a museum to sketch. My talents as an artist were not appreciated by my pragmatic parents so I studied mathematics, physics and chemistry in high school with the view to becoming a doctor. Luckily I have a brother who fulfilled this parental ambition and I was free to travel...because... "Art is the only way to run away without leaving home."

I have travelled extensively, in the traditional sense, in Europe, Africa, Middle East and the Far East, keeping visual diaries and writing travel stories. I hold BSc, BA and Fine Arts degrees, and have spent time in advertising and marketing agencies and magazine publishing houses. I have also taught creative subjects in various tertiary institutions. I have illustrated and published two picture books and held several exhibitions of my art. My techniques include watercolours, pen and ink, etchings, engravings and computer aided illustration. I live with my husband and Montmorency, a wire haired fox-terrier.

Commissions & Contact:

janinapechova@hotmail.com