Artist Background

James grew up in Southwest Missouri on the family farm, attending a one room school. An Army veteran, he studied at New York Art Student League, Pratt Institute, with college degrees of B.F.A. in Studio Art, Masters of Sculptures and Ceramics, Ed.S. Industrial Arts, and PhD.

He served as a college professor and administrator for many years in Kansas and Tennessee. Recently retired, James is a full time artist and plans to show his work more often and is seeking more visibility via gallery representation and juried shows.

Artist Statement

I am particularly interested in the use of symbols found in religion and mythology. Mystery and metaphor frequently appear in my work. I create works based on my life experiences, my love of words imagery from literature and poetry. I hope viewers will feel a shared experience when viewing my works. I have never found “one look” that I could spend a lifetime making, therefore my work tends to evolve from one look to the next.

Theodore Lipps, a German philosopher stated, “Beauty arises from the transformation of one’s self into the object seem and from the resulting consciousness of a fusion between the artist and his guest.”  I love the idea of connecting with people via my work.

Currently, I am working with oil, acrylic and watercolor in 2-D. I am using a combination of wood, stone, and clay in my 3-D objects. “Everyday a new picture is painted and framed for half an hour…” Henry David Thoreau.