BIO

I was born in Chicago in 1970 and raised in one of its suburbs known as Park Ridge. I had a great childhood, spending most of my time either on sports or school, but mostly sports. I guess my interest in art began at my desk in the corner of my room, coincidentally the subject of my first painting. I would spend hour after hour at that desk drawing my favorite hockey players like Doug Wilson and Murray Bannerman, trying to catch the action while placing some saying behind them such as "Man of Steel." Nothing was more cool to me at that time than this. Strange where it all starts sometimes, isn't it? Although several people (mainly family members) said I had skills in drawing, I never took it seriously. I enjoyed the process of drawing more than the outcome itself, and a lot more than when people actually saw the work. Never did it cross my mind that one day I would have a career in the arts.

After finishing high school at Maine East, I went to Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois, where I majored in Industrial Technology; I had a dream of owning my own print shop. However, this dream quickly faded when my first printing class did not quite live up to expectations. I knew I enjoyed the planning of the graphics however, so I decided to change majors and become a graphic designer. This was when I moved to the Department of Art.

In the graphic arts program I did enjoy the challenge of creating interesting and stimulating graphic designs, but i liked my painting and drawing classes more. I also did not have the patience or the precision needed to achieve the level of quality I expected from myself at the time. Once again I decided to change majors, dropping graphic arts and taking on the world of painting and drawing.

I wasn't very good. Everyone seemed to have a style or technique that I liked better than my own. My stuff was nice, but I guess I wanted more from myself. Before I could find what that was it was time to graduate.

Like many college graduates before me and since, I was soon faced with the great question, "Um, now what?" I tried many different things as I waited tables and bartended for the next five years (R.I.P. Blue Parrot) but nothing seemed to fit until that fateful night I went to see the movie "Dangerous Minds." Yes, the one with Michele Phifer. I have had some great teachers in my life, but I had never before thought of a teacher as someone who could have such an effect on their student's lives. I thought that was cool, so, to make a long story short, I became an art teacher.

After tremendous luck and good fortune I ended up at Lake View High School on Chicago's north side, where I still teach today. I teach Art I, Painting and Drawing, and A.P. Portfolio classes each day to a wide variety of students. Some days I carry them and others they carry me, but in the end I could not see myself doing any other job in the world.

At the end of the day I pull out the paints and put what is left down on canvas, and that is what you have before you in the galleries here. I hope you like the work, and also that you have a chance to come to a show sometime. Lastly, thanks for listening to the story and taking the time to visit the site. Enjoy,

Jim

PHILOSOPHY

The philosophy behind my paintings and drawings is an attempt to capture the beauty found that we usually hide from the world. I believe there are moments when we let our guard down momentarily, allowing everyone to see who we truly are, letting everyone beyond the public facade and into our heart, a moment of pure beauty. Sometimes, though rarely, these moments are found on a train, on a city street, or some random location with a woman you do not know. But mostly it is in a place and with a person that you are familiar with, and at that moment you forget everything while you wait for your heart to start again. Overly romanticized? Maybe. The truth? Absolutely, and I will always keep looking for it, because honestly, that is all I want to see.