Vivid, magical and sometimes haunting, pastel landscapes that come to us from the other side of the rainbow. Pastel figurative work that sings of the person's character and soul! - Informed Collector
Year Born: 1943
Was awarded the title of Master-Pastelist by Pastel Society of America and Dolphin Fellow by American Watercolor Society
Won Silver Metal Award from Pastel Society of America and the American Watercolor Society.
Art columnist for the International Artist Magazine
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 is not as successful as it could have been.
Other Artists Say:
"I am pleased to be able to have an opportunity to see and comment on the work of a marvelous artist - Bill James. I have long admired his great skill in drawing nd painting. His watercolors are exceptional and in this difficult medium, he has produced astonishing work. Bill also excels in the three other mediums, oils, pastel and independent drawing (graphite). Bill James' subjects, landscapes, figures, still lifes and drawings are all produced with great technical skill and personal meaning. An outstanding artist!"
Daniel Greene - master fine artist
"Bill James is a versatile artist working in oil, watercolor, pastel and graphite. His paintings are well composed with a fine sense of color."
Everett Raymond Kinstler - master fine artist
"I've noticed your work over the years and have seen it progress beyond techniques.You bring something to the work that is a bit more than your articulated goals. The "it" can be called a combination of sight and insight - a visual translation of seeing and understanding."
Burt Silverman - master fine artist
"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 - editor of 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.
"An Impressionist for today."
Pratique Des Arts - French Art Magazine
"I am pleased to be able to have the opportunity to see and comment on the work of a marvelous artist - Bill James. I have long admired his great skill in drawing and painting. Bill's subjects, landscapes, figures, and drawings are all produced with great technical skill and personnal meaning. An outstanding artist."
Daniel E. Greene
"I've noticed your work over the years and have seen it progress beyond techniques. You bring something to the work that is a bit more than your articulated goals."
Burt Silverman
Bill James is a versatile artist working in pastel, watercolor, and oil. His paintings are well compossed with a fine sense of color."
Everette Raymond Kinstler
ART COLUMNIST FOR THE INTERNATIONAL ARTIST MAGAZINE
WAS PRESENTED WITH THE TITLE OF MASTER-PASTELIST BY THE PASTEL SOCIETY OF AMERICA AND THE TITLE OF DF BY THE AMERICAN WATERCOLOR SOCIETY SIGNATURE MEMBER OF EIGHT NATIONAL FINE ART SOCIETIES
Biography
RESUME
ART MAGAZINE COLUMNIST
In May 2011, I was asked to be a regular columnist for the art magazine called The International Artist. It is a special thrill for me because I have always thought of them as being the best most prestigious fine art magazine in the world. It was explained to me by the editor that he not only enjoyed looking at my paintings, but also told me I had a way of writing about my art that showed that I had the ability to express myself well. I am extremely honored to have been given this wonderful opportunity.
ARTIST'S BIO
Bill is a graduate of Syracuse University and now lives and works from his studio in Florida. He is a signature member of eight national art societies, some of which are the American Watercolor Society (which has awarded him with the title of Dolphin Fellow), the National Watercolor Society, the Southern Watercolor Society, and the Knickerbocker Artists (an exclusive art association consisting of only master artists). He was given membership with the Knickerbocker Artists without showing a customary portfolio. Since 1947, that was only done one other time. He was awarded the title of Master-Pastelist by the Pastel Society of America. In 2008, he had 10 of his paintings 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 Gold Metal Award for Excellence from the 2007 Pastel Journal art competition, First Place Award in the Miami Watercolor society first online art exhibition, 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 and '11 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, Art Splash International Exhibition '07, Maryland Pastel Society National Open Exhibition '07, Pastel Society of New Mexico '08, Florida Watercolor Society '08, the Northwest Pastel Society '08 and '09, the Arkansas Pastel Society '09, the Southern Watercolor Society '07 and '11, and the Miami Watercolor Society online exhibition '11 and '12.
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. There is an article in the Watercolor Magazine Winter 2011 published by American Artist issue concerning his watercolor paintings. There is an article about his work with pastel in the August 2011 issue of The Artist Magazine (England). In the June 2011 issue of Pratique Des Arts Magazine (France), there is an article concerning his pastel and watercolor techniques. In 2012, the French magazine The Art of Watercolour wrote an article concerning Bill's watercolor technique. There is an article in the 2012 August/September issue of International Artist Magazine which shows and discusses his work with pastel.
His watercolors are included in five books titled "Splash", "Splash 2", "Splash 4", "Splash 5", "Splash 8", "Splash 10", "and "Splash 11" published by North Light Books. Many of his black and white drawings are included in Strokes Of Genius series of books 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.
PAINTINGS ARE REPRESENTED BY THESE GALLERIES
J. Todd Galleries
572 Washington Street
Wellesley, MA 02482
Hughes Gallery 333 Park Avenue Boca Grande, Fl 33921
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