Roatan, Honduras

Roatan, Honduras

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Jini James Fine Art



Welcome to my Blog. I have just moved to a new studio with expanded space so that I can start my teaching projects and have room (in Air conditioned comfort) for my friends, the Pieces of 8, to meet each Monday as we paint and swap information about art. It has been a very revealing task, going thru art materials, deciding what to throw away or Yard Sale, but in doing so I found slides of me at 16, the age that my mother knew that my thirst for art was quite real and signed me up for classes with James Shucker. "Jim", as I was allowed to call him when our relationship turned into a life-long one, had retired to our small town in BucksCounty, Pa from New York. He was masterful at classical realism and a task master in his classroom studio. He also ventured into sculpture, and each and every 2-D art medium. I remember an abstract piece he created called ‘Death of a Cowboy’; a frenzied painting of reds, yellows and browns that had to be, by it’s title, a stampede. Funny what you remember. I saw him years later and discovered that my current circle of friends included his agent and publicist from the New York City days. I have had the good fortune to meet and study with many great artists who have all left their mark, but none as strong as Jim Shucker
I had my photographer convert the slides of me at 16 to JPEGS. Notice the pencil in hand and the sailor hat that I was seldom without. The location is Swan’s Island Maine; Seal Cove to be exact. Back then you could only reach it by mailboat. A few years ago we sailed our ketch to Maine and dropped in on the Island. When the fog finally lifted, I could see the spot where I was sitting, the front yard of my Uncle’s home, loaned to us for family vacations. Small world, I never expected to see it again. Who was it that said "be careful for what you wish for" ?
I do paint every day, not a painting a day as some do but I have started to photograph works in progress which t will be posting.

2 comments:

Carol Schiff Daily Painting said...

Jini, Love your post and that too cute picture of you at 16. This is such a fun thing to do. I am looking forward to seeing your paintings posted.

Anonymous said...

Jini, I can't wait to see the direction you travel with this. You are, as always, full of talent and surprises.
donna vines