James S Rousonelos

James S Rousonelos is a realist painter of people, places and society. He is influenced by the Renaissance masters like Titian, and the Baroque master painter, Caravaggio. His images contain elements of mystery, societal comment and relevance coupled with a very personal sense of experience. The artist has been painting for 43 years, and has work collected in all parts of the USA, some countries in Europe and in Canada.

Rousonelos also creates commissioned work, including portraits, upon request. He also has created a very unique style in the drawing medium, with pieces that employ pastel and colored pencil fixed to a smooth, grained wood panel. Some of these pieces contain mixed media/collage materials. Rousonelos' oil painting technique, utilizes a very rare, unique 15th century glazing technique that was used by the Flemish master painter, Jan Van Eyck. With this technique, numerous oil glazes are painted over a finished charcoal drawing , first with earth-tone monochromes, and then with glazes of color. Such a technique is very time-intensive, and requires drying time between each layer of paint. Consequently, this technique creates a very mysterious, ethereal aura to each image that employs it.

James has an extensiv...

Masters of Fine Art degree from
Northern Illinois University.

Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from
Southern Illinois University.

SIU Artist's Worshop, Paris, France

Oxbow Printmaking summer workshop, Saugatuck, Michigan, USA.

Numerous exhibitions in the Chicago area, the Midwestern states and a few in New York. Rousonelos' work is in private and corporate collections throughout the United States. Please see his resume for details.