Jim
is a self-taught and passionate artist.
Even in his school years, he excelled in art. In his early years he began working as a
ticket-writer and window-dresser, all the while painting and drawing whenever
he could get the time, so it was a natural and easy progression to move into
signwriting, screen-printing and eventually commercial art and design as a
career.
During
his 40 plus years in his trades his work covered many other aspects of the
visual advertising industry including air-brushing, murals, pencil, pen and ink
and hundreds of T-shirt and tea towel designs.
He has also designed book covers and illustrated books for authors from
all over Australia. Many of his logo
designs still appear on coins, letterheads, honour boards and in business advertising. He has won State and National awards for his
designs and artwork, some of which have been used in advertising in Portugal,
Spain, Bahrain and the USA.
It
was during Jim’s extensive travels throughout Australia that he realised that
there was a whole world out there just waiting to be painted …. scenes that
perhaps no-one else has painted … scenes that people look at but don’t really
see. So it wasn’t difficult to make the
decision to devote himself to his lifelong passion of painting and drawing
full-time.
Jim
has held two successful exhibitions at the Don Roderick Gallery in Charters
Towers (2011 and 2012). Each showcased
forty pieces and gained him several commissions.
He
works in oils for his landscapes and seascapes and in pencil for his portraits.
Email: jimarenafineart@bigpond.com