Janet Richardson-Baughman

"Crossroads A-54, " Pastel signed by Jan Richardson-Baughman

1999

A move to an 80-acre farm in Western Michigan from Detroit suited Janet Richardson Baughman. She and her three siblings loved country life and relished the many humorous adjustments to their new surroundings. The one-room schoolhouse she attended, for example, contrasted sharply to her earlier city school. Sports programs had been fairly sophisticated in the city. Rural sports consisted of her teacher piling everyone in her car, including the trunk and then driving the children to another one-room schoolhouse for games. When Janet reached the sixth grade, a chapter in American history closed because all of the one-room schoolhouses were annexed by the nearest cities, but that unusual educational experience is something Janet fondly remembers. Growing up in a family that was very artistic, it was not surprising that Janet loved drawing. She and her brothers and sisters would make Christmas decorations for the Christmas tree and had ongoing art projects all year long. Her architect father was an artist in his free time. As the children became adults, they were all involved in artistic endeavors from carving to sculpture. Janet's high school years were spent riding and showing her horses. Living on the farm allowed her freedom to indulge her love of animals including, the dogs that were so special to her. Janet became an accomplished seamstress and an excellent cook. She took no art classes in high school although she sometimes helped her father with drafting.

Starting college with the intention of majoring in speech and drama, Janet took an art class only because it was required. She found the art classes so appealing that she took one after another. Eventually, having taken every art class offered, the university had to design independent studies for her. When she went back on the farm, Janet discovered a new passion and that was ceramics. First working as a waitress during college to earn income, Janet later became a Student Assistant and lived at the Ceramics Studio. As an assistant, she would make clay and glazes, fire the kiln and assist the instructor however she could. At first, she had planned to become a high school teacher, but she was encouraged to earn her graduate degree and pursue her artistic endeavors, in addition to teaching. Janet graduated in 1975 with a BFA in Ceramics and Weaving from Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant. Following her mentor's advice, she went to Indiana State University in Indiana for her graduate work where she studied under Dick Hay. Demanding, but very laid back personality, he expected a lot from Janet and she grew above his expectations. She joined the National Council for Education in the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) which is a ceramics networking organization. It has a national conference each year where ceramists, educators and studio artists meet. She was on the Board of Directors for two years. Janet received her MFA in 1977. Moving back to Western Michigan, Janet found teaching positions with various colleges and taught art history, ceramics and a myriad of classes. However, she never forgot her mentor's advice, which was to continue her craft.

Janet met a businessman and artist, John Baughman, who sold her artwork around the country. Janet bought a studio and her work was selling so well that she no longer needed to supplement her income with teaching. Janet and John had a business relationship for several years until life took one of those magical twists and their relationship blossomed into much more. Later, the two of them were married. John and Janet bought acreage and moved to the country. Turning one of their buildings into a studio, the pair became extremely successful enabling them to concentrate only on their artwork and discontinue the end of the sale of the business. It is difficult to believe when one sees her pastel, mixed media of pencil, oils, and collage landscapes have done on paper that this is the same artist that designs and makes very sophisticated and stylized ceramics. The natural beauty that abounds where she lived inspired her artwork. Interestingly, she also derived inspiration from her ceramics for her paintings although the two are quite different in style. Janet and John together raised and trained horses. In addition, she loved gardening and had a huge vegetable garden. She and her husband loved to cook. They enjoyed golfing together as well. They had three children. Janet Richardson Baughman died on October 29, 2014.