Brianne Janes is a Santa Fe–based oil painter known for her expressive, light-filled landscapes and cloudscapes that celebrate the spirit and rhythm of the New Mexican terrain. Working in a style that blends expressionism and impressionism, Janes paints both en plein air and in the studio, capturing the emotional resonance of land and sky with bold, intuitive brushwork.

​

Largely self-taught, Janes has painted since childhood and has worked professionally for nearly 20 years. Her direction as a landscape painter was shaped early on by a mentorship with Harry Orlyk, the noted New York plein air artist, who instilled in her a sense of purpose in documenting vanishing landscapes. Later, her time painting alongside Louisa McElwain deeply influenced her fearless approach to paint handling and process. “Louisa taught me to let go,” says Janes. “To move from instinct rather than intellect.”

​

Rooted in the Southwest, Janes’ paintings reflect a deep connection to place. She is often commissioned to paint meaningful vistas—old family land, generational farms, or cherished windowscapes—preserving them in oil as visual memory. Her work serves as a record of land stories, rendered with immediacy, energy, and emotional depth.

 

Janes’ paintings have gained the attention of collectors and commissioners across the country. She continues to live and work in Santa Fe, where the dramatic skies and vast, open landscapes remain her greatest source of inspiration.