James Wolford is an American landscape painter with a focus on architectural subjects. After graduating from The Kansas City Art Institute in 1981, he attended Boston University to study under James Weeks, who is known for his classically influenced post-modern approach to figurative painting.
In 1985 James moved from the East Coast to Colorado to pursue his desire to paint scenes of the modern West. In 1991, his innovative use of color was recognized by an award from the Colorado Federation for the Arts. In 1996, he relocated to the coast of Maine, which has traditionally drawn artists to its rocky shores and historical villages. His work is featured on the cover of The Art of Monhegan Island, published in 2004.
James cannot be characterized entirely as a landscape painter, as he frequently paints intimate portraits of more urban subject matter, capturing the details of a single building or an entire city block. Capturing the subtleties and intensities of light is essential to James’ work as a contemporary realist: Many of his paintings are awash in the ephemeral light that exists for only a short period of time in the morning or late afternoon. Architectural elements are central to his work as well, capturing the play of light and shadow in a manner that the natural landscape cannot.
James chooses his subjects primarily for their formal qualities. There is always some human element in his paintings, whether it is a single human being or manmade object. His paintings evoke a strong sense of place. James often takes subjects considered mundane and transforms them by finding and pointing out their inherent beauty.
Website
http://www.jameswolford.com
