Jim Otis

To experiment ,explore, and push the boundaries of representative art, that is the energy and rush of the creative process. I don't think a painting formula that works commercially again and again is true Art. My style is personal experience. Places. people,time, and space. life that happened..experiences my eyes have seen..and how I translate it though my combination of realism and subjective visualizations. "When I work, I use color to drawn the viewer into my world. Everyone perceives an image differently,as their own eyes view it, and draw their own unique feelings and conclusions, just like every other person on the planet. My paintings want to entice the senses to explore beyond what their eyes tell them."

Born in Central Wisconsin, Jim has produced art since early childhood, as he remembers,standing in his crib and drawing at about 3 years old. "I recall the orange crayon..I did a self-portrait on my cowboy wallpaper."

Jim first attended Layton School of Art in Milwaukee, and was initially enrolled in advertising Illustration, but quickly was swept into the free flowing river of fine art painting. After several years at Layton, Jim was accepted to Minneapolis School of Art. There he had a guest instructor in 1966 named...

Layton school of Art, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 1964-1966
Minneapolis school of art, Minneapolis, Minnesota 1966-1967

Recent Selected Exhibitions

2012 Red Dot Art Fair,Art Basel Miami,Florida Artisan Direct Galleries, December

2012, First Place, Artivita International Art Competition, October, WWAB, Santa Barbara, California

2012, Rogue Galleries, Chelsea, New York, New York, "Broken Boundaries" Art in Focus Group show, January

2011, Cabrillo Gallery, Juried, "Tasty, Artists play with food", Cabrillo College, Aptos, CA, October

2011, Juried Member Show, Santa Cruz Art League, February

2010, Monterey Miniature Show (most requested artist status)

2010, Contemporary Artists show, Artist’s Alley Gallery, SOMA, San Francisco, CA., May though August.

2009, Marin County Museum of Contemporary Art,Novato, CA. "Dreams and Revelations", juried by Philip Linhares, Oakland, Museum of California.

2009, Contemporary Artists show — Gallery 2611, Redwood City, CA. June through August

2007, National Steinbeck Center, Salinas, CA. "My California, People and Portals", Juried by Scott Schields, Chief Curator, Crocker State Museum, Sacramento, CA.

2005, National Steinbeck Center ,Salinas, California "My California, Visions of the golden State", Juried exhibition by Nathan Oliveria, Art icon.