Known for creating luminous oil paintings on copper, Janet Cunniffe-Chieffo has fine tuned her technique painting jewel like quality works of art. She graduated cum laude from the New York Academy of Art, where she earned her master’s degree in oil painting, studying traditional methods of figurative art and studying intensely from the human figure. It is here that she learned the master tradition of oil painting on copper and fell in love with its possibilities. Videos and articles of her award winning paintings have been published in “Copper in the Arts” online magazine, featured as the cover art of the “Connection Magazine”, published in the national Artist’s Magazine, and in many local newspapers. Janet Cunniffe-Chieffo’s paintings on copper have also been exhibited and sold in solo shows at Studio 7 Fine Art Gallery and Swain Galleries, in addition to many prestigious juried group shows across the country including the NJ Highlands exhibition at the Morris Museum, the Hudson Valley Art Association at the Salmagundi Club, the Salon International at the Greenhouse Gallery, the National Association of Women Arts exhibition at the National Arts Club, the George Segal Gallery, and the Dahesh Museum to list only a few. An accomplished portrait and figure painter, Janet Cunniffe-Chieffo has also been awarded public portrait commissions. Her oil painting portrait of former County Executive Scott Vanderhoef is part of the permanent collection of Rockland County, NY. The prestigious Take Home a Nude auction at Sotheby’s and Christie’s (hosted by the New York Academy of Art) has exhibited and sold her work to prestigious private collectors including the private secretary to HRH The Prince of Wales.
Janet Cunniffe-Chieffo earned her undergraduate degree in graphic design with distinction at Indiana University and began her art career as a graphic artist designing packaging for Colgate-Palmolive. In addition to her two degrees, she furthered her painting studies at the Art Students League and Studio Incamminati in Philadelphia where she studied with Nelson Shanks, and the Ridgewood Art Institute where she studied with John Philip Osborne. Color, light, working from nature and painting plein air became an integral part of her work and studio practice. She became an established still life oil painting instructor at the Ridgewood Art Institute where her work is part of their permanent collection. She has taught oil painting, life drawing, and portfolio development to students of all ages and backgrounds at many art schools including Let’s Create Art Studio, the Center for Contemporary Art, and currently serves as a Senior Adjunct Professor at Sussex County Community College.
"Painting is my passion with nature and light serving as my muse. I strive to express beauty, truth, and emotion in my work."
-Janet Cunniffe-Chieffo
