Jane Langford was born in Mt. Vernon, NY, in 1914, and spent most of her childhood in Croton-on-Hudson. From an early age, she was interested in drawing and showed artistic ability. The earliest work we've found to date is a page of dresses designed for her friends in 1924 - when Jane was ten years old. Through her teenage years, she continued to sketch and paint. In 1932, Jane enrolled in Swarthmore College and completed her freshman year. The next fall, she and her Mother sailed to Rome to join Jane's elder sister, Mary Frances Langford, who was doing research for her Ph.D. While living in Rome, Jane attended art school-her first formal art training. Italy in 1933-34 was a fascinating place for a young woman: Mussolini was courting the young Italians and, in efforts to garner support, frequently sponsored balls and parties for students. This was clearly a formative time in Jane's life, cementing both her love of art and of travel. She thoroughly enjoyed the life of a young American abroad, while still having the comfort of family near.

  On returning to the United States in late 1934, Jane attended classes at the Art Students' League in New York City. It was about this time she chose watercolor as her preferred medium (while she has worked with oils and acrylics, she always returned to watercolors). In 1936, she took an extended vacation in Puerto Rico and her first series of paintings dates from this time. Shortly after her return, Jane married John Terry in June of 1937.

  Domestic realities and the birth of her two children, Peter and Nancy, kept her from painting seriously for close to two decades. In 1942, John enlisted and was sent to England with the 8th Army Air Corps. At this time, Mary Frances was teaching classics at Keuka College, and Jane decided that the "country life" would be good for her and her family, leading to, in 1943, the purchase of a house and farm on West Lake Road in Penn Yan. Peter attended the Merritt Hill School, and, as the family made friends, Jane began to join the community of artists in the area. After the war, John came back to Penn Yan and worked for Stomberg Carlson as an engineer.

  In 1949, the family moved to Westchester County, NY when John accepted a position with the Port of New York Authority. John became ill and died in 1951. After her husband's death, Jane worked in the Art Department of the Reader's Digest in New York City then, in 1953, the family moved back to Penn Yan where Jane has lived (mostly) ever since. In Penn Yan, Jane taught art at the high school, was a social worker for Yates County and the Penn Yan Manor Nursing Home. In 1958, Jane and Nancy spent a year in Cambridge, England where Jane took courses in illumination, weaving and pottery. In these years, while she maintained her interest in art, she didn't have time to give it her full attention until her retirement.

  In 1964 Jane traveled to Ethiopia to visit Nancy and her husband, who were working there as Peace Corps Volunteers. She became so enamored with the idea that, the next year, she joined the Peace Corps herself and was assigned to India as a teacher. Traveling by way of the Orient, she returned to Penn Yan in 1967, but it wasn't long before her wanderlust caught her again.

  In 1969, Jane returned to Ethiopia to visit her new grandson, Daniel Levine. There, for the first time, she was able to spend many hours a day painting. She produced dozens of paintings of Ethiopia, and had a solo exhibition in Addis Ababa. Upon leaving Ethiopia almost a year later, she returned to India and stayed there for over a year, again teaching weaving and handicrafts. She traveled quite a bit upon leaving India, spending time in Damascus and Beirut. One of the paintings she created during this time was of a family having a picnic on the edge of the Arab River near the city of Basra, Iraq. The palm trees in this painting echo the palm trees of her very early works in Puerto Rico. After traveling across Europe and spending several months in Haarlem, the Netherlands, she went to Spain and took a freighter back to the United States.

  It was now 1971. Soon, Jane's career as a local artist began to absorb more and more of her time and energy. This is where her style really developed, and where, much to her surprise and delight, she learned that other people enjoyed her scenic landscapes. Some of the dominant themes of her work: the rolling green hills in Summer, Winter scenes dotted with red barns, and, of course, the view, Keuka Lake seen from Esperanza. Jane estimated that, over her career, she painted the view hundreds of times.

  Still she couldn't shake the travel bug, and she returned to England in 1984, living in Penzance, Cornwall, for six months. In addition to painting the dramatic English coast, here she also learned the art of engraving. On her return to Penn Yan in 1985, she continued painting scenes of the local landscapes and selling them at local art and craft shows. Her minis, small 1.5" x 2.5" paintings of local scenes, became very popular, especially in an arrangement she called The Four Seasons, where four minis were grouped together, showing the Finger Lakes scenery throughout the year. She also started producing a line of notecards that continue to be available in local shops.

  All during her time in Penn Yan, Jane continued to teach painting and drawing. Many people attended these classes over the years. She was active in many local art organizations, especially the Penn Yan Art Guild (originally the Arts & Crafts Guild), and served in many offices, including President.

  When the Windmill Farm & Craft Market began, Jane, with Gail Eyer and Janet Smith shared a booth. She later had her own booth and she continued to sell her paintings every Saturday until 1998. Her output never slowed until health concerns began to take their toll. Her last finished painting dates from 2001.

A retrospective of Jane's work was on display at The Gallery during September and October, 2003.