ASHLAND — Artist Janice LeBrun may not be far from home, but her journey as an artist ranges far and wide.

The Ashlander , who still lives in the house she was born in, wasn’t formally trained in art, but her career as a high school science teacher required her to draw animals to instruct students about their parts.

“I’d draw a spider on the board and tell them, ‘Draw a spider.’ I didn’t know everyone can’t do that,” she  said.

When her two children were nearly grown, she took at photography class at Ashland Community College. Margie Holbrook, then an art teacher at Verity Middle School, encouraged her to try a painting class she taught, which had students dabble in a variety of media.

“I just fell in love with it,” LeBrun said.

Even while working full time, she participated in 15 or more art shows a year, but once she retired from teaching biology at Russell High School in 1994, she increased her time spend painting, learning watercolor and acrylic from books, classes and workshops.

Now, LeBrun teaches two adult watercolor classes, an adult acrylic painting class and two children’s art class, which include a variety of media.

“I want them to learn every technique possible,” she said. “All of them can draw, but we do lettering, watercolor, cartooning. They love the painting.”

LeBrun’s work will be prominently displayed at the Pendleton Arts Center during the First Friday art walk, as she is the featured artist for November. She said those familiar with her work will be surprised at the exhibit because it will include abstracts, assemblage art and acrylic paintings; she’s known more for realistic paintings and for  watercolor.

LeBrun doesn’t work in oils because of the fumes, but said a range of effects similar to oil can be created with acrylics, a relatively new medium.

“Acrylics have only been around for about 50 years,” she said, noting Andy Warhol was one of the first artists to make use of them.

LeBrun said acrylics were first used to paint houses, but artists eventually realized the Latex paint had its advantages. The paint used on houses was too thin for artist to use routinely and lacked the vivid color most sought, so chemist experimented with thickening it and adding pigment until fine art quality was achieved.

It’s a durable medium, she said, holding up to the elements and adhering to multiple surfaces and resisting cracking and yellowing, and it mixes well with sand and other textures to allow the artist to create many effects.

Another advantage LeBrun sees over oil: “It dries so quickly; it was wonderful.”

Acrylic paint allows the artist more ease in painting details, she said. “In oils, you suggest things where in acrylic you actually put that detail in.”

Research continues on acrylics and more products are created and paints are improved constantly, which makes acrylic and exciting medium, LeBrun said.

“The full possibilities of acrylics haven’t yet been developed,” she said. “Think what can be done in the next 50 years.”

The Pendleton Art Center is at at 1537-1539 Winchester Ave

Beginning Saturday and continuing through Dec. 17, the Pendleton will be open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays; extended hours will be announced later.

‰The Upstairs Gallery, at 1428 Winchester Ave., will feature the works of Tiffany Hixon during November. Hixon of Ashland is a photographer. Music will be provided today by Mindy Richardson and Travis Knight. The Day of the Dead (Dia De los Muertos) exhibit will open and artists will be present to answer viewers’ questions.

‰The Jesse Stuart Foundation will be open from 5 to 8 p.m. for First Friday’s art walk. The Leming Art Gallery features works by area artists and photographs by William “Pictureman” Mullins.

The foundation is at 1645 Winchester Ave.

LEE WARD can be reached at lward@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2661.