James L. Stevenson

About the Artist

A native of Texas, Jim lived in New York City for 10 years and now lives in Rhinebeck, NY, where he draws inspiration from the scenery and people of the beautiful Hudson Valley.


Artist's Statement

I am a realist painter, working in portraiture, landscape and still-life. My work fuses traditional methods with contemporary perception. Constantly delighted by the forms of nature and the human figure, my work is a crystallization of these experiences.

In my still-life paintings, I seek to discover the "inner life of objects", their breath and vibration in space. From the simplest of elements I find magic, and infinite opportunities for the exploration of shape, color and light.

I work from life as much as possible when painting portraits. The opportunity to converse and connect with the sitter energizes me in developing a fully realized representation of the individual. Working from direct observation enables me to incorporate more subtle nuances of form and color into the painting.

Working in the tradition of the great masters gives me a connection to our cultural past that enriches my daily experience and that of my patrons. Among the artists from whom I seek inspiration are Titian, Velasquez, Rubens, Rembrandt, Ingres, Inness, and Sargent.


Exhibitions
  • 2009
         "Art at Grasmere" Group Show, Rhinebeck, NY
  • 2008
         Rhinebeck/Red Hook Art Studio Views
         G.A.S. Gallery Group Show, Poughkeepsie, NY
         Panoply 2-Artist Show, Rhinebeck, NY
  • 2007
         Hudson Art Walk, Hudson, NY
         Tivoli Artists Co-Op, Tivoli, NY
  • 1998
         DANO, New York City
  • 1995
         Local Color Gallery, College Station, TX
  • 1992-93
         Aspiring Eye Gallery, Huntsville, TX


Education
  • Greg Decker, Master Figurative Artist
         Studio assistant, individual instruction
  • New York Academy of Art, New York, NY
         Classes in classical drawing and figure painting practices
  • Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX
         BFA 1993, with Honors
         Harry Ahysen/Art Endowment Scholarship
  • Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
         Studies in Architecture, English and Engineering
Two Critters II
Main
© James L. Stevenson 2009