"Goddess of Spring" by Pueblo artist Jan Oliver. Jan had always dreamed of being a painter but just couldn't seem to make it happen. She says, "I would sit and paint little roses and tear them up and paint some more and tear them up. I could not get in the flow to let the beautiful images that were in my mind come out."But after almost 30 years of prayer, her prayers were answered. "I asked God to either make me a painter or take away all of the beautiful images that swirled in my head," she says.

Miraculously, that happened in late October of 2003. Jan says, "I fashioned an easel from my son's childhood chalkboard and decided that I was going to need Gods' help to get me over whatever was getting in my way and that I was going to believe that I could paint something beautiful. One of my first paintings: Church in Blanco, is from that initial painting session and later won Best of Show at the Pueblo Art Guild's Best of Southwest Art show. You can see a full portfolio of Jan's work at www.janoliver.com