Jania Vanderwerff was born in Bellingham, WA and was raised on Wiser Lake. Her interest in painting began as a youth and was encouraged by her parents. Her Mother introduced her to various media before she found her visual language in painting. Her Father taught her to stretch canvas and built her 1st easel when she was 12 yrs. She is self taught but exposed herself to the Masters through books.

While raising and teaching 4 children she continued to work and took them to museums and galleries. During this period, her work consisted of murals on their nursery walls and works on paper in an effort to protect them from any potential hazards from exposure to the pigments.

On September 11, 2001 while watching the news she picked up her sketchbook and began to document her emotions. The result was a 12”x12” painting. The painting “Refuge” was one of 300 world wide juried into an exhibit in New York (Unity Canvas). 5 years later her painting was one of 30 shown in Manhattan. It is currently in NY under the NYFA umbrella. She continues to show her work at the Williamsburg Art and Historical Center in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Jania has volunteered her time to museums including Laguna Art Museum and Whatcom Museum of History and Art and also the Williamsburg Art and Historical Center under Mary Westring and founder Yuko Nii.

Jania lives in Bellingham, Washington.