Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 8462 GoodLifeFamilyMag.com MARCH | APRIL 2017 Blaze Your Own Path at Any Age JANE KAHLER PAINTS HER WAY THROUGH RETIREMENT by Lisa A. Beach SENIOR LIVING & THE SANDWICH GENERATION Compared to many artists, Dallas painter Jane Kahler burst onto the art scene a bit later in life. For the past 11 years, the 83-year-old has been an artist, teacher and co-owner at Artists’ Showplace in Dallas. Here, Jane exhibits and sells her artwork, teaches painting classes and helps manage the venue to showcase other local artists. Jane dreamt of being an artist since she was young, inspired by her father, an artist, and her aunt, an art teacher. For her first job, Jane designed food product packaging, while attending night classes at the American School of Commercial Art. In 1969, Jane landed a job at Dallas-based Custom Chenille Embroidery, designing emblems and embroidery for jackets worn in colleges, rodeos and the music industry. She worked there for 35 years while also squeezing in evening and weekend painting workshops with the intentions of painting full-time after retiring. “I always wanted to be a painter, but I needed to work and help raise my family,” explains Jane, the mother of three sons. After retiring in 2004, Jane joined a group of artists and became a partner in the Artists’ Showplace. Although she often paints in her home studio, Jane likes to dabble in plein-air painting (literally “fresh-air” painting) in the Texas Hill Country. Over the years, she’s painted landscapes, portraits, pets and wildlife. Taking cues from her aunt, Jane began teaching painting classes. “I enjoy teaching because I feel the need to share what I’ve learned from the great teachers who have shared their knowledge with me,” says Jane. Active in several local art organizations (including Irving Art Association, DeSoto Art League and Texas Area Artists), Jane has won many awards for her artwork, including “Best of Show.” Quite impressive for a late-bloomer! Email Jane at jakahler@tx.rr.com or find her at theartistsshowplace.com/janekhaler. Jane Kahler, artist, art teacher and co-owner of Artists’Showplace in Dallas. "I always wanted to be a painter, but I needed to work and help raise my family.” - Jane Kahler