Ms. Altman, a native of Wilkes-Barre, PA, attended Wilkes-Barre Public Schools.  She is a graduate of Moore College of Art, Phila., PA with a Bachelor of Science degree in Art Education and served on its alumni board for several years. She has done graduate work in the Arts and Education at the State University of New York at Plattsburgh; St. Lawrence University; Temple University; Villanova University; Penn State University; The Institute for American Universities at Avignon, France; Parsons School of Design at Lake Placid as well as the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and Philadelphia College of Textile and Design. Primarily known for her watercolors, Ms. Altman has studied that medium with Ranulph Bye, Robert Plumb, Robert Whitney, Guy Corriero, Frank Webb, and Tony Van Hasselt, among others. She has also studied Adirondack Landscape Photography with Nathan Farb.

Ms. Altman first arrived in the Adirondacks in 1964 as an art teacher with the newly formed Saranac Lake Central School District. She has been a seasonal resident of the Adirondacks since 1966. Jacqueline may be found painting along a scenic roadside or hiking down a trail with her watercolor equipment in order to capture some secluded site. Many of the Adirondack sights Ms. Altman has captured on paper over the years have disappeared from public view. Floral subjects are also a favorite. When traveling, be it to Europe, across Canada or the United States, she uses watercolor to capture the essence of that landscape...to hold onto its memory and emotional responses to it.

In selecting a subject to paint, the artist is guided by her sense of color, light and composition. She often paints directly from the subject, capturing the rhythm, patterns, and movement created by the lighting situation. Each painting is approached as a new experience and a challenge. The artist delights in sharing her sense of joy and discovery with her viewers. 

Ms. Altman has participated in many regional art exhibits in Pennsylvania, the Adirondacks and in France, winning awards in the categories of Portraiture and Watercolor. She has had several one woman shows with her work included in numerous private collections throughout the United States, Canada and Europe.

She was a charter member of the Adirondack Craft Co-op of Saranac Lake and was a participant in the Paint and Palette Festival from its inception. In 1969, she was awarded a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Education in the area of Aesthetic Education resulting in her development of a related arts curriculum. She was recognized for this work in 1971 with her inclusion in the publication, “Outstanding Young women of 1971.”  In 1994, she received a National Faculty grant to study at Penn State on the topic of Arts and Humanities. 

She was a featured artist at the Adirondack Art Association Gallery in Essex, NY in August of 1996.

Having taught in the public schools of North Plainfield, NJ and Saranac Lake Central School District, Ms. Altman spent 33 years as an art educator in the Radnor Township School District until her retirement in 1999. 

Among Ms. Altman’s avid interests are photography, nature walks, gardening, music, theater, and dance as well as her feline and canine friends and friends of the two-legged variety.  She is a collector of original art with an emphasis on watercolor, drawing and graphics, as well as Inuit sculpture. Among her favorite artists are Winslow Homer and Rockwell Kent, both of whom have strong Adirondack affiliations. She is a member of the Adirondack Artists' Guild, the Adirondack Art Association and the Greater Norristown Art League.  She served on the PA. Art Ed. Assoc. board for many years and is a co-founder of the Delaware County Art Teachers Consortium.

Her work may be viewed at Adirondack Artists' Guild, 52 Main St. (Green's Market) Saranac Lake, NY or in her home studio by appt.    

Click here to listen to Jackie's interview on North Country Public Radio where she discusses how she creates a painting.