Jane Gottlieb has been expressing her joy of art with paint, shapes, and color since she was very young. From childhood, art was not simply a pastime but a natural language through which she explored curiosity, emotion, and wonder. This early fascination laid the foundation for a lifelong creative practice that would continue to evolve while remaining rooted in her love for color and visual storytelling.
Initially working as a painter, Gottlieb developed a strong understanding of composition, form, and the emotional impact of color. Painting allowed her to experiment freely with abstraction and expression, but as her curiosity expanded, she began seeking new ways to merge realism with imagination.
From Painting to Photography
As her artistic vision matured, Gottlieb transitioned into photography, discovering the camera as a powerful tool not only for capturing reality but for transforming it. Photography offered her a way to observe the world while still leaving space for interpretation and reinvention.
Rather than leaving painting behind, she carried its principles into her photographic practice. Each photograph became a foundation, a starting point upon which she could build layers of emotion, memory, and fantasy. This shift marked a pivotal moment in her artistic evolution, allowing her to merge the precision of photography with the expressive freedom of painting.
Hand-Painting Cibachrome Prints
Over 40 years ago, long before digital editing became commonplace, Jane Gottlieb began hand-painting directly onto her Cibachrome photographic prints. This process was both meticulous and groundbreaking. Each print became a one-of-a-kind artwork infused with vivid, saturated, and intentionally unrealistic colors.
Before Photoshop existed, Gottlieb intuitively discovered her own method for creating what she describes as a new magical reality. By painting into each individual photographic print, she challenged traditional ideas of photography as a purely documentary medium. Instead, she transformed it into a hybrid art form where painting and photography worked together seamlessly.
Each hand-painted print was unique and irreproducible, reflecting her belief that art should feel personal, imaginative, and emotionally resonant.
Bridging Analog and Digital Worlds
Over the last 35 years, Jane Gottlieb has continued to evolve alongside technology while remaining true to her original artistic philosophy. She began scanning her archive of one-of-a-kind hand-painted prints along with her extensive library of 35mm Kodachrome color transparencies, captured over the course of 50 years.
These transparencies represent decades of visual exploration and observation. Through scanning and digital preservation, Gottlieb gave new life to these images, allowing them to exist in a contemporary format while retaining their original spirit and emotional depth.
Using Photoshop as her modern tool, she paints, combines, and enhances these images, layering them into richly textured compositions. For Gottlieb, digital software becomes an extension of her creative hand rather than a replacement for artistic intuition.
A World Defined by Color
Jane Gottlieb’s work is immediately recognizable for its luminous and unapologetically saturated color palette. Her compositions often feel dreamlike, transporting viewers into an idyllic world that exists between memory, fantasy, and reality.
Rather than aiming for photographic accuracy, Gottlieb prioritizes emotional truth. Color becomes her primary storytelling language, shaping atmosphere and mood while encouraging viewers to experience the world through her joyful and imaginative perspective.
Her work invites audiences to see familiar environments in a new way, reminding them that reality can be transformed through creativity and vision.
The Museum Architecture Series
A strong example of Gottlieb’s artistic approach can be found in her Museum Architecture Series. One notable work from this series is based on a photograph she took at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. She later painted and digitally enhanced the image using Photoshop and her signature vivid imagination.
In this piece, architectural structures provide a solid framework while color softens and energizes the space. The museum, often associated with formality and preservation, becomes lively and expressive. Through this transformation, Gottlieb bridges the gap between institutional architecture and personal artistic expression.
The series reflects her fascination with cultural spaces and her ability to reinterpret them as immersive, emotionally engaging environments.
A Lifelong Commitment to Creative Exploration
Throughout her career, Jane Gottlieb has demonstrated a deep commitment to artistic growth and exploration. From painting to photography, from hand-painted Cibachrome prints to digitally enhanced compositions, her journey reflects a continuous dialogue between tradition and innovation.
What remains constant is her joyful relationship with color and her refusal to be limited by medium or convention. Each stage of her career builds upon the last, forming a cohesive and evolving body of work.
Artistic Vision and Legacy
Jane Gottlieb’s work stands as a testament to the power of blending handmade artistry with modern technology. Her ability to adapt to changing tools while preserving the soul of her creative process places her in a unique position within contemporary art.
By creating her own magical and colorful reality, she invites viewers to reconnect with wonder, optimism, and imagination. Her images are not only seen but felt, offering an emotional experience that lingers beyond the visual.
In a world often defined by restraint, Jane Gottlieb’s art celebrates boldness, joy, and the enduring power of color.
