Studio Janimal

Artwork by Janet L. Lefley

A green alien-like creature sitting at a cluttered wooden desk with papers, ink, and a quill. The room is a library with bookshelf filled with books, decorative framed insects, and a tall window. There is also a tall clock and a small telescope in the room.
Watercolor painting of a marina in Alicante, Spain, with palm trees, sailboats, and a colorful sky in 2025.
Colorful painting with stylized animals including a blue dog, a pink goat with large white horns, a green rooster, and a plant with large leaves in a vibrant abstract background.
A sketch-style drawing of a young man and woman relaxing on a sofa with a dog between them. The man wears a green shirt and a hat, and the woman wears a red top. There are two red apples on the table in front of them.
A smiling woman with long brown hair standing on a balcony with green railing, overlooking a lush garden with trees and fields on a sunny day.

Welcome to my Studio!

Hello! I’m Janet, a multi-faceted artist, wordsmith, illustrator and intrepid explorer.

Originally from Chicago in the US, I lived for several years in Amsterdam. I loved living there because I adore biking and dog watching on the canals. (Oh, and Dutch apple tart with whipped cream). However, the never ending rain of winter finally got to me and prompted my move to sunny Portugal.

I hold an MFA from Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia and I’ve been a member of SCBWI since the 1990’s.

I was invited to join the Golden Egg Academy’s Mentor program in 2023, working with editor Nicki Marshall, and my work was shortlisted in 2024 for both the I Am In Print competition and the Wells Festival of Literature competitions.

I’m currently writing a middle grade novel, Taki and the Totem Animals, about a girl in ancient Egypt who can take on the abilities of the gods' totem animals.

Fun fact about me, I was once a volunteer at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago in the marine mammals department, where I had the honor of spreading salve on the penguin’s feet.