Commission Work

Until now, I had not considered taking commission work because of the likely constraints on the painting. However, when Marshall Riggan approached me to do a painting of the sailboat Fandango that he and his wife Betty lived on for many years, I was intrigued. He asked for a painting of their boat in a rolling offshore sea, consistent with other paintings I've done. So, I decided to give it a try.

Working from photos of Fandango at dockside, and a similar boat under sail, I was able to create a painting that we all liked. Marshall and Betty have summed up their feelings about the painting as follows: "We are extremely pleased with the painting Jim created of our beloved sailboat Fandango. It's as if she is back in our lives and we are reminded daily of the wonderful adventures we had aboard for so many years." I've included an image of the Riggans taking delivery of their painting.

I found that it was very satisfying to provide a painting to clients that is really meaningful to them. This was such a good experience that I decided to add a page on commissions to my website. What I plan to do is to only accept commissions that are consistent with my style and usual subject matter.

Two Paintings Juried Into Diamond Exhibition

The Third Annual Diamond Exhibition will be held at the Fine Arts Center of Hot Springs from September 5 through October 2, with a reception on Friday, September 7 from 5 to 9 pm. This is a regional competition for all media of original artwork. This year's judge will be Marlene Gremillion of Hot Springs Village.

Forty paintings were juried into the exhibition by an artist panel, and I was very pleased to learn that two of my entries were accepted, In The Woods and Lake House.

Arkansas Artist Calendar Competition

The Arkansas Governor’s Mansion Association is planning to publish an arts calendar to introduce the work of Arkansas artists. A panel of jurors chose 88 works for inclusion in the first annual calendar, and from those entries, several will be purchased for the Mansion’s private collection. I am happy to report that my painting Mountain View Arkansas Barn has been chosen for inclusion in the calendar.

Brush Strokes Exhibition at Garland County Library

The annual Brush Strokes competitive exhibition at Garland County Library opened on Saturday, June 30 with an afternoon reception. Unfortunately, I was away and unable to attend the reception. Charles Harrington, a very accomplished acrylics painter, judged the exhibit. Charles had just taught a 3-day workshop for the Brush Strokes art club in Hot Springs Village.

I saw the exhibit yesterday, and was impressed with the quality of the entries. There are almost 40 paintings hanging. I entered Country Christmas, a half-sheet snow scene (image attached), but did not win an award.

This exhibit is well worth seeing. It will be hanging in the library until the end of August.