James Day

Hi there. My name is James Day (Jim). I am 73 years old and retired. I gradually re-kindled my interest in art after my wife passed away. I really enjoy watercolor and alcohol inks.

Watercolor is an interesting challenge for me. It is both fast and slow. It is fast because you must work with the paper quickly and with conviction. It is slow because you must plan out your white spaces, lay your wash and then decide if you want to wash over it while it is wet or allow it to dry. Most professional watercolor artists usually accomplish their paintings "alla prima" (italian for "at first attempt" or "all at once"). Most of my work is done alla prima but on occasion I opt to stew on the painting overnight. In any event I enjoy the challenge.

Alcohol Inks are completely different and fascinating to work with. Unlike watercolor which uses a 100% cotton paper in several grades (known as Hot Press, Cold Press, and Rough) alcohol ink is applied to a synthetic paper. This allows the alcohol ink to dry on the surface of the paper and usually not soak in or stain the paper. This creates incredible opportunities for blends and surprises. You never know what is going to happen with alcohol ink and it takes a while to have a "conversation" with...

I watch and learn from other artists. I have a few favorites that I really admire: Alvaro Castenet, Nina Volk, Stephan Gadnell, Thomas Schaller, Joseph Zbukvic, and many others. There is an artist specializing in granulating watercolor - Nicolas Lopez. Very, very progressive artwork.

And yes I have been offered an exhibition opportunity at local galleries. I am working on building up a good catalog of works before I jump into that.