Janie paints directly from life, in oil or gouache, with still life being a favourite theme. She is endlessly fascinated by arrangements of simple, everyday humble and beautiful objects.
Landscape is another constant theme, especially the Sussex countryside. She records her responses in sketchbooks and works from photos and memory to capture the feeling of a fleeting moment whilst walking on the Downs.
Light plays a crucial role in her paintings, whether it is artificial light to create mood and intensity in her still lifes in the studio, or the atmosphere of half-light present under grey skies.