Landscapes & Botanicals
Early in Jim's life, he spent a great deal of time in nature, exploring the desert and mountains in western Arizona. The beauty and complexity of life inspires much of his work. When Jim paints a flower or canyon he views it as a portrait. Often painting Plein-air, or in nature, he strives to capture the light and design of a single moment, the created wrinkles, and projected shadows are the essence of the real surprises of an image. Jim finds the details that strike unique instances of life, drama, sexuality, and an emotional response that connects him to the natural world. He looks objectively at his subject to distance himself, which allows him to delve deeper into it. Jim credits this to the Navajo idea of "Hozho," which roughly translates to beauty and balance in nature. As a boy he remembers his mother stacking rocks while out on a stroll in the desert, leaving them for others to come across and add to, or for nature to destroy. She told him this is the essence of "Hozho" creating something that balances the environment for you and nature can remove to set things back in order if it deems. In his painting, Jim manipulates his idea of balance by adding or removing details that give him a sense of involvement in the construct of the natural world.
