Janel has been interested in art from a very early age. She began to study visual art at the tender age of 11 focusing on color theory, fundamental principals of design, portraiture and various paint mediums. After studying a wide-range of visual arts for three years at the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design, she graduated with a Diploma in Fine Craft, Jewelry/ Metal Arts, in 2004. Guthrie’s intuitive approach to her own work is based on creativity through the complex blending of colors. She is passionate about color and revels in testing new techniques in various mediums. She has worked with a variety of mediums including watercolor, acrylic and metals. Guthrie specializes in portraitures. Her intention with her portraits is to connect with her client and capture the essence of the individual subject. Indeed, she was recently featured on CTV news for reaching out to a grieving father, who had in a tragic turn lost most of his photos of his deceased son, for offering to paint the late child’s portrait. Her intention with this type of philanthropic work is to support individuals through art and to fill her portraits with the love inherent in the relationship. Guthrie took a hiatus from the art world to raise two beautiful daughters by working in the public sector, including the Child and Youth Advocate’s Office. Life moved her all over the province, however. Now settled back in Fredericton where she was raised, she has picked up her brush with a flourish and is back on the art scene with intensity. Janel recently competed in the Fredericton Art Battle and is privately selling her work faster than she can paint it.