Janet Quilty grew up in Melbourne, worked as a teacher for many years, and at the end of her career she moved with her family to a locality near Daylesford. She had always been interested in art and colour, and working with wool. When she retired, she studied art at Warrnambool TAFE, with a major study in tapestry weaving.

Janet lives on a bush block at the edge of the Wombat Forest and finds the bush setting a rich source of inspiration for her drawings, paintings and weaving.