Focal Point: Bill James
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The Artist Says:
Refined drawing is the foundation needed to create a great realistic or Impressionistic work of art. Without that, the technique used takes over and the artist's painting simply does not work.
Other Artists Say:
"Bill James is a veteran of three mediums, an insightful observer of
humanity who tells an intimate story with masterful strokes of color". - Rachel Wolf, editor of North Light Books.
"Because James' craft (superb in not one but three media) is so confident, he can create compositions that seem discovered rather than planned. His work is serious as it is beautiful". - Maureen Bloomfield, editor of The Artist's Magazine.
"Bill James is hard-core talent. Technically, his pastels and watercolors are amazing... what he does is just really stunning. It's just downright quality technique". - Dr. Leslie Hammond, chief curator of the Appleton Museum of Art.
"Your paintings are anything but ordinary".- Margot Schulzke, artist/writer.
"Bill's work is spontaneous but accurate".- Steve Doherty, American Artist Magazine.
"It was a pleasure to write about an artist with such extraordinary talent" - Jessica Canterbury, associate editor/writer of Pastel Journal magazine.
Other Web Pages With Info About Bill James
Bill James's Main Artist Website
Art Galleries Representing Bill James
BRODEN GALLERY LTD.
MADISON,, WISCONSIN - 608-256-6100
COCONUT GROVE GALLERY
COCONUT GROVE,, FLORIDA - 305-445-7401
TELLURIDE GALLERY OF FINE ART
TELLURIDE,, COLORADO - 970-728-3300
Overview
Click Here to go to the website for artist Bill James"What distinguishes Bill James' portraits (paintings) from many of his contemporaries is their informality. Far from a studio, his characters are not models assuming a role but dancers at a festival, musicians at an outdoor concert, or actors recreating an historic charge. James emphasizes the characters' costume and gesture by often isolating them in fields of pattern and color. Because of James' craft (superb in not one but three media) is so confident, he can create compositions that seem discovered rather than planned. His portraits (paintings) attest to the fact that an artists ambition can coexist with an onlookers delight, yet there is an underside to any joyous occasion, and James renders that as well, which is to say that his work is as serious as it is beautiful".
Maureen Bloomfield - editor of The Artist's Magazine
All images and material copyrighted by Bill James 2007. All rights reserved. No reproduction in any medium may be made without the prior consent of the artist.
Biography
Bill is a graduate of Syracuse University and now lives and works from his studio in Ocala, Florida. He is a member of four national art associations including the Pastel Society of America (which has awarded him the title of Master-Pastelist), the American Watercolor Society (which has awarded him the title of Dolphin Fellowship), the National Watercolor Society, and the Knickerbocker Artists (an exclusive art association of only master artists). Since 1947, that was done only one other time. In June of 2008, he had 10 of his watercolors and pastels included in an exhibit at the Appleton Museum of Art.
He has won second place (the Silver Metal Award) from both the Pastel Society of America and the American Watercolor Society. In their exhibitions as well as other juried competitions, he has won such awards as the Mrs. Andrew Guffuni Award for Exceptional Merit-Pastel Society of America, the Howard Chandler Christy Portrait Award-PSA, the Knickerbocker Award for Excellence-Pastel Society of North Florida, Award for Exceptional Merit-Degas Pastel Society '87, '96, and '98, Award for Exceptional Merit-National Watercolor Society, Award for Exceptional Merit- Texas Watercolor Society, the 3rd Place Award for Landscape from the 2003 Artist's Magazine art competition, the Fourth Place Award for figurative work from the 2006 Pastel Journal art competition, the Gold Metal Award for Excellence from the 2007 Pastel Journal art competition, and the Award of Excellence-Watercolor Society of Alabama. He has won many Best in Show Awards including; Northwest Pastel Society '97, Degas Pastel Society '92, Art Center National 100 '96 and '98, Mississippi Watercolor Society '87 and '94, Louisiana Watercolor Society '90, Watercolor Society of Alabama '94 and '96, Georgia Watercolor Society '95 and '02, Arizona Aqueous XVI '99, Texas Watercolor Society '02, Tallahassee Watercolor Society '04, Pastel Society of North Florida '07, Southern Watercolor Society '07, Art Splash International Exhibition '07, Maryland Pastel Society National Open Exhibition '07, and the Northwest Pastel Society '08.
His paintings are included in many corporate collections throughout the country. He is currently represented by some of the finest galleries in the country alongside many of the most prestigious fine artists working today. The galleries are; the Telluride Gallery of Fine Art, the Broden Gallery Ltd., and the Coconut Grove Gallery.
Publications which contain articles about his paintings are as follows; There is an article concerning his watercolor paintings in the November 2003 issue of Watercolor Magazine. One of his watercolors was used on the cover and also for another short article on the last page. There is an article concerning his pastels in the July/August issue of Pastel Journal. There is an article concerning his figurative work in the April 1997 issue of American Artist magazine. A landscape is depicted on the cover. There is another article which features his pastel and watercolor figurative work in the January/December issue of International Artist magazine. Included in the fall 1995 issue of Watercolor Magic is an article which features several of his watercolor paintings. in the January 1998 issue of Artist's Magazine, there is an article concerning his oil paintings. There is an article concerning his pastel paintings in the December 1999 issue of American Artist magazine and in the April 2002 issue of the Artist's magazine. His watercolors are included in five books titled "Splash", "Splash 2", "Splash 4", "Splash 5", and "Splash 8" published by North Light Books. Other watercolors are included in books titled "The Best of Watercolor", "Creative Watercolors", and "People in Watercolors" published by Rockport Publishers. Several of his watercolors were published in two books titled "The Artistic Touch" and "The Artistic Touch 2" published by Creative Art Press. Watson-Guptill's book "Painting Faces and Figures" features both his pastel and watercolor techniques. He has two pastels and one watercolor in a book published by North Light Books titled "The Best Of Portrait Painting". Seven of his pastels, oils, and watercolors were included in a book titled "A Painter's Guide To Design And Composition" published by North Light Books. Four of his black and white drawings and color sketches are included in a book titled "Strokes of Genius" published by North Light Books.
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Content Copyright - Bill James Fine Art