I prefer working en plein air whereby I can intimately observe my subject in the pure natural sunlight.
The University of the Arts, M.A. Program Painting
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Independent Study
College of New Jersey, B.S. Education
Mercer County Community College, A.A. Graphic Design
Originally from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, major influences on Jim's work included his father, also a landscape painter, Winslow Homer, Andrew Wyeth, Richard Schmid, and the Pennsylvania and early California Impressionists. Though primarily self-taught, Jim holds a BS in Education, pursued an MA with a concentration in painting at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia and studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.
Jim prefers working en plein air, because he feels that no photographic reference can replace this firsthand experience. He may revisit a site several times when the lighting conditions are similar in order to reaffirm relationships, simplify the complexities of too much extraneous detail and explore more deeply what initially inspired him to paint the scene.
Jim has twice won the John R. Grabach Memorial Award for Best Oil, the Julia K. Castro Memorial Award for Oil, Merit Award for outstanding work from the Salmagundi Club, and has been recently elevated to Fellow for his outstanding work by The American Artists Professional League (NY). Jim has received numerous Best in Show, Merit Awards and Honorable Mentions for his painting and his work has been featured in many fine publications, including Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine.
Jim maintains a studio in Medford, NJ.
Jim Jackson's landscapes are masterfully executed representations of the world in which we live. The intrinsic qualities - physical, emotional and spiritual - of his lovely scenes shine through with his expert use of light, unique to each location with its own color and mood. Radiant color choices complete the paintings and surround the viewer with breathtaking beauty.
