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Jim was born in El Paso,Texas in 1957, and raised in the suburbs of Dallas until graduating from high school in 1975 and joining the military. After being discharged, he worked in construction and graphic design while attending The University of North Texas, where he recieved a BFA in Graphic Design. He worked as an Illustrator, Graphic Designer and Art Director in Texas and Colorado for many years, until a visit to Santa Fe in 1995. Enamored by the spare beauty and clear light of the northern New Mexico area, he finally made his move to Santa Fe in 1997 where his attention shifted from graphic design to oil painting and sculpture, in an attempt to become a full-time artist. Jim currently resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico with his wife Gaia and dog Maggie, where he enjoys painting landscapes, urbanscapes, imaginative studio work, and sculpting in bronze and stone. Jim's paintings and sculptures are included in private collections around the world. Education: BFA in Graphic Design from North Texas State University Sculpture workshop with Lincoln Fox Plein Aire Oil Painting workshop with Barry McCuan Sculpture workshop with Kevin Sears Plein Aire Oil Painting workshop with Bill Gallen Solo Exhibitions: May 2009 Eldorado Studio Tour, Santa Fe, New Mexico, US March 2009 "Recent Paintings" Las Chivas Coffee House, Santa Fe, New Mexico, US January 2009 "Recent Paintings" Whole Foods, Santa Fe, New Mexico, US Summer 2008 "Recent Paintings" Tesuque Flea Market, Tesuque, New Mexico, US March 2008 "Recent Paintings" Las Chivas Coffee House, Santa Fe, New Mexico, US
I visited the Santa Fe area about 15 years ago, and like most people, I immediately fell in love with the place. It's a land of brilliant light and clear blue skies, that contrast with the burning reds and oranges of deep canyons, deserts, and rugged mountains. It's a place of beauty and mystery that forms a remarkable culture, and a uniquely American mythology. I finally made the move here about ten years ago, with the idea of becoming part of the long lineage of artists who were drawn to this land, and strove to capture it with paint. I paint in a semi-realistic, representational way, with an eye to the simple underlying abstract. I like to let the beauty of the paint itself become the main focus of the piece, and let it overtake the subject matter, which becomes a secondary supporting idea. With Vincent Van Gogh as my spiritual guide, I am deeply inspired by the work of Victor Higgins, Maynard Dixon, Ernest L. Blumenschein, and Robert Daughters. I like to get out into nature with my sketchbook and paints, in order to try and capture a sense of the land. I'll stop at a place and just sit, and observe. It's at these still moments that I can enter into a different place and feel the rhythms, flows and movements of a deeper nature. The land is alive, even the desert, and evolving through the seasons and the years. The shifting patterns of sunlight and shadow, the colors and textures, the multicolored rocks behind the swaying sagebrush and pine trees, all create a swirling kaleidoscope of meaning that speaks to me in a ancient, yet familiar tongue. I enjoy the challenge of attempting to capture this with the limited tools of canvas and paint. The most I can hope for is just capturing a momentary glimpse, a singular feeling. I know I'm getting in touch with this when the painting easily flows and one brush stroke follows the other without conscious thought. Intuition takes over. When I let this happen, magic happens. Inner vision becomes outer reality. |
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Contact: jmjennings@cnsp.com |
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Jim Jennings Painting & Sculpture |
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